Cape Town, South Africa – More than 200 institutional investors and 350 private capital fund managers are expected to converge in Cape Town from December 1 to 3, 2026, for SuperReturn Africa, a major gathering aimed at connecting international investors with investment opportunities across the continent.
The conference will take place at The Westin Cape Town, bringing together limited partners (LPs), general partners (GPs), development finance institutions, pension funds, family offices, foundations and other players in Africa’s private capital industry.
Organised under the theme “Where the connections drive returns”, the event is expected to facilitate investment discussions, partnerships and fundraising opportunities across African markets.
According to the organisers, the gathering will feature more than 200 LPs representing institutions with approximately US$1.5 trillion in assets under management, alongside more than 350 GPs operating across different segments of the private capital market.
The event is also expected to facilitate more than 13,000 business meetings, providing investors and fund managers with opportunities to explore partnerships and assess potential investments.
Among the participating institutions are the International Finance Corporation (IFC), African Development Bank Group (AfDB), British International Investment (BII), FMO, Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF), Government Institutions Pension Fund (GIPF), Debswana Pension Fund, Mastercard Foundation and Shell Foundation.
The fund management sector will be represented by organisations including Helios Investment Partners, Development Partners International (DPI), LeapFrog Investments, Old Mutual Alternative Investments, African Infrastructure Investment Managers (AIIM), Vantage Capital, Mediterrania Capital Partners, TLcom Capital and Goodwell Investments.
Focus on technology, infrastructure and private credit
A major feature of the 2026 programme will be a specialist summit day on Tuesday, December 1, covering four investment themes: fundraising, infrastructure, technology and artificial intelligence, and private credit.
The newly introduced Tech, AI and Venture Capital Summit will examine investment opportunities in financial technology, artificial intelligence adoption, digital assets, tokenisation, data trends, company valuations, exits and liquidity.
The Infrastructure Summit will address investment opportunities in energy, climate, power, digital infrastructure, transport and logistics, critical minerals, social infrastructure, real estate and public-private partnerships.
The Private Credit Summit will explore the changing private lending market in Africa, including financing for small and medium-sized enterprises, trade finance, venture debt, hybrid debt-equity structures, revenue-based financing and secondary transactions.
Meanwhile, the Fundraising Summit will examine capital mobilisation, pension fund investment strategies, emerging fund managers, family offices, independent sponsors, corporate investors and the evolving role of development finance institutions.
Participants holding summit day tickets will be able to move between all four specialist programmes.
Global investors and African industry leaders
The conference will feature more than 175 speakers drawn from Africa, Europe, the United States and other international markets.
Among the confirmed speakers are Zain Shamim, Director of Private Equity at the US International Development Finance Corporation; Oumnia Benaddi, Director and Co-Head of Direct Equity at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development; David Kornik, Managing Partner at Vantage Capital; and Souleymane Ba, Partner and Co-Head of Climate Investment Strategy at LeapFrog Investments.
Other speakers include Albert Alsina, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Mediterrania Capital Partners; Fope Adelowo, Principal at Helios Investment Partners; Ashley Lewis, Managing Partner at DPI Venture Capital; Jan Martin Witte, Head of Asset Management at Cygnum Capital Group; and Maya Burney, Senior Investment Officer at Calvert Impact.
African investment professionals expected to participate include Vuyo Ntoi, Co-Managing Director of AIIM; Chumani Kula, Co-Head of Old Mutual Private Equity; Hamdiya Ismaila, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Savannah Impact Advisory; and Lise Birikundavyi, Managing Partner at BKR Capital.
The programme will also provide opportunities for institutional investors to participate in closed-door discussions, private fund presentations, investment masterclasses and networking sessions.
Investment opportunities and networking
SuperReturn Africa has arranged several networking activities designed to connect investors with fund managers and other industry stakeholders.
These include exclusive LP and GP discussion groups, an LP-only breakfast and lunch, a Women in Africa networking lunch, private credit breakfast sessions, a climate investment masterclass and informal networking through the ConnectMe platform.
The organisers say the networking application will enable participants to establish contacts before the conference, during the event and afterwards.
A new SuperReturn Sunset Social will also take place at Grand Africa Café and Beach, featuring cocktails, canapés, sunset views and a live house DJ.
The programme will further include discussions on investment consultant strategies, Bitcoin mining, independent sponsors, credit secondaries, risk management and investment resilience.
Awards to recognise African private capital industry
The SuperReturn Africa Awards will return on December 1, with the ceremony scheduled for 16:40 to 17:10 at The Westin Cape Town.
Organised in partnership with Stears, the awards recognise achievements in Africa’s private capital industry, including fund management, investment performance, innovation and professional services.
Categories include Pan-African Fund Manager of the Year, Regional Fund Manager of the Year, Emerging Manager of the Year, Best VC Fund Manager of the Year, Best Female Fund Manager and Exit of the Year.
Service provider categories include Best Law Firm of the Year and Best Fund Administrator of the Year.
The Outstanding Contribution to Private Capital award will also recognise individuals whose leadership, investment strategies and industry contributions have supported the development of private capital across Africa.
The organisers said nominees and winners in the fund manager and service provider categories would be selected using data and assessment criteria provided by Stears. The awards ceremony will be open to delegates registered for the summit option.
Opportunities for institutional investors
SuperReturn Africa is also offering complimentary attendance to qualifying limited partners representing institutions such as banks, pension funds, development finance institutions, foundations, insurance companies, sovereign wealth funds, family offices and investment consultants.
Eligible applicants must be members of an institution’s investment team, with their primary responsibility focused on investing in general partner funds.
Participating investors will have access to LP-only presentations, networking sessions, breakfast and lunch meetings, as well as closed-door discussions on investment priorities and capital allocation.
The organisers have also identified several international and African institutions expected to participate, including the African Development Bank, European Investment Bank, International Finance Corporation, US International Development Finance Corporation, Fundo Soberano de Angola, South Africa’s Public Investment Corporation and Namibia’s Government Institutions Pension Fund.
The conference is supported by a broad network of sponsors, exhibitors and media partners, including African Infrastructure Investment Managers, Kholo Capital, Mediterrania Capital Partners, Old Mutual Alternative Investments, 500 Global, AfricInvest, Helios, LeapFrog and Convergence Partners.
SuperReturn Africa is part of the wider SuperReturn global conference series, which brings together investors, fund managers and financial institutions to discuss developments in private markets.
The 2026 edition is CPD certified, with delegate attendees eligible to receive continuing professional development certificates after participating in the event.
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