PEA 2025 Awards Winners
ANNUAL & DECADE WINNERS
This list covers the Private Equity Africa (PEA) 2025 Annual and Decade Award Winners.
INDIVIDUAL AWARD
Hall of Fame Award
This award inducts into the industry’s Hall of History those that defined a generation of private equity investing in Africa. It celebrates individuals that have pioneered and shaped the industry, demonstrating great courage in doing what few others have ever done.
• Runa Alam, Co-founder & CEO, Development Partners International (DPI)
Award Presented By: Babatunde Soyoye, Co-founder & Managing Partner, Helios Investment Partners, the inaugural recipient in 2024, symbolically passing the baton to this year’s honouree.
LP AWARDS
LP INDIVIDUAL AWARDS
LP Person of the Year Award
• Shruti Chandrasekhar, Head, Private Equity & Venture Capital, Africa Region, International Finance Corporation (IFC)
This award celebrates the best LP, by GP voting.
LP Leadership Awards
• Sara Taylor, Director & Head of Private Equity Funds and Co-investments, British International Investment (BII)
• Anne Fossemalle, Global Head of Funds’ Investments, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)
This is an industry achievement award based on industry career commitment.
LP INVESTOR AWARDS
DECADE & ANNUAL
LP Homage Award
• British International Investment (BII)
Award Collected By: Andrew Brown, Chief Investment Officer – Equity & Funds
This accolade reflects the collective appreciation of GPs that have been historically backed by the LP. The award was presented by the GPs, led by Rick Phillips, Managing Director and Head of Private Equity at Actis.
LP of the Year
• International Finance Corporation (IFC)
Award Collected By: Nicholas Vickery, Global Head, Private Equity Funds
LP Impact Award
• European Investment Bank (EIB)
Award Collected By: Andrea Clerici, Director of Global Funds & the EIB senior funds team
LP Catalyst Award
• Swedfund
Award Collected By: Sofia Gedeon, Investment Director, Sustainable Enterprises
Fund of Funds (FoF) Award
• Kuramo Capital Management
Award Collected By: Wale Adeosun, Founder & CEO
LP Innovative Strategies
• British International Investment (BII)
Award Collected By: Dirk Holshausen, Director – Africa
LP Exceptional Deal
• Sango Capital for Synergy Capital Managers
Award Collected By: Christian Roelofse, Investment Director, and Pierre Deludet, Vice President, Investments
GP ANNUAL HOUSES
House of the Year
• Mediterrania Capital Partners
Venture Capital House
• Development Partners International
SPECIAL RECOGNITION: HOUSES
GP ANNUAL HOUSES
House of the Year
• Mediterrania Capital Partners
Venture Capital House
• Development Partners International
Credit Investor
• XSML
SPECIAL RECOGNITION: HOUSES
Innovative Fund Strategies
• Helios Investment Partners
Credit Exits Award
• TLG Capital
Dealmaker Award
• Admaius Capital Partners
Francophone Africa Investor
• Adiwalé Partners
Small Cap Investor
• Aruwa Capital Management
Regional Investor
• Verod Capital Management (West Africa)
Funds to Watch
• Development Partners International
• AgDevCo Ventures
Impact Award
• Verod Capital for Verod Foundation
GP INDIVIDUAL AWARDS
Leadership Awards
• Marlon Chigwende, Founder & Managing Partner, Admaius Capital Partners
• Isha Doshi, Co-founder rat TLG Capital
• Tokunboh Ishmael, Managing Director & Co-Founder, Alitheia Capital
• Anne-Marie Chidzero, Chief Investment Officer, FSD Africa Investments
• Nigel Wellings, Private Equity Partner, Clifford Chance
Industry Anchor
• Cate Ambrose, CEO & Board Member, Global Private Capital Association (GPCA)
Portfolio Manager of the Year
• Marc Stoneham, Partner & Senior Lead, Portfolio Management, DPI
Women to Watch
• Muna Abdulle, Senior Vice President – Private Equity, DPI
• Linzi Thomas, Private Equity Partner, Latham & Watkins
• Montserrat Petit, Head of Marketing & Communications, Mediterrania Capital Partners
• Tania Eyanga, Founding Co-Chair & CEO, Central Africa Markets VC & Private Equity Association (CAMPEA)
Voting Awards
Most popular people by industry votes
Investor Person of the Year
• Adesuwa Okunboh Rhodes, Founder & Managing Partner, Aruwa Capital Management
Advisor Person of the Year
• Ayodele Adeyemi-Faboya, Partner, Banwo & Ighodalo
DEAL AWARDS
Deal of the Year
• Mediterrania Capital Partners for Cash Plus
Exit of the Year – Private Equity
• CardinalStone Capital Advisers for i-Fitness
Exit of the Year – Venture Capital
• Apis Partners for Adumo
Special Recognitions
Exit Deal
• Actis for Octotel
Frontier Deal
• Admaius Capital Partners for St Christopher
Deal to Watch
• Alitheia Identity Managers for Seamfix
Creative Capital Awards
• TLG Capital for Liberty & Justice
• TLG Capital for Inkblot
• Omega Sports for Racing Club d’Abidjan
• Helios Investment Partners for Professional Fighters League
PORTFOLIO AWARDS
Overall Portfolio Company of the Year
• Aruwa Capital Management for OmniRetail
Development Impact
• Alitheia Capital for Arnergy Solar
Social Impact
• Alta Semper for MyDawa
Innovation
• Summit Africa for Custom Capital Finance
Improvement
• Injaro Investment Advisors for DDP Outdoor
Debt
• TLG Capital for Terra Aqua
ANNUAL AWARDS
LEGAL ADVISORS
Global Legal Advisor of the Year
• Clifford Chance
Funds Legal Advisor of the Year
• Webber Wentzel
Legal Advisor of the Year – Local
• Bowmans
Special Recognition
Regional Advisor
• Matouk Bassiouny for North Africa
SINGLE DEAL ADVISORS
Single Deal Advisor
Decade Awards
Latham & Watkins for Axxela
Annual Awards
• Clifford Chance for BlackRock (Lake Turkana)
Single Fund Advisor
• Charles Russell Speechlys
• Banwo & Ighodalo
ADVISORS AWARDS
DECADE AWARDS
Single Deal Advisory (Special Recognition)
• Latham & Watkins for Axxela
ANNUAL AWARDS
Legal Advisor of the Year – Global
• Clifford Chance
Legal Advisor of the Year – Funds
• Webber Wentzel
Legal Advisor of the Year – Local
• Bowmans
Regional Advisor – North Africa (Special Recognition)
• Matouk Bassiouny
Single Deal Advisor
• Clifford Chance for BlackRock (Lake Turkana)
Single Fund Advisor
• Charles Russell Speechlys
• Banwo & Ighodalo