University of Stellenbosch’s Africa Centre for Investment Analysis (ACIA)

Today I met with Prof. Nicholas Biekpe (Head of ACIA and Director of MdevF Programme, ACIA, University of Stellenbosch Business School, South Africa, along with Prof Wim Gevers, Associate Director of the Graduate School of Business – two very informed and thoughtful academics. It appears that ACIA’s area of focus has many synergies with IDRC’s proposed research fund. And in fact, Nicholas is very informed on the Investment Climate Facility, having submitted a paper to Chris Darroll. It would not surprise me if ACIA and ICF end up working together in some capacity.

The Africa Centre for Investment Analysis (ACIA) was established in October 1998 as a research, educational and service institution of the University of Stellenbosch Business School, of the University of Stellenbosch with generous support of its founding sponsor, BoE Ltd, now part of Nedcar.

The uniqueness of the centre lies in the fact that it provides a central point for education and training in African capital markets, development and advanced finance, as well as for the collection and dissemination of financial and market data for both investment and research purposes.

A few of the Centre’s objectives include:

• To work closely with the Emerging Markets Research Centre at the University of Salford in the UK;
• To create and maintain a unique African Markets Database;
• To provide training and research in emerging capital markets and development finance;
• To organize annual investment conferences and exhibitions on development and advanced finance in order to help create awareness of the need and the opportunities for investment in Africa

Some of the most recent projects that ACIA is working on according to Nicholas are:

1. South African SME Business Confidence and case studies. We are in the process of constructing unique Business Confidence Indices for the South African SME sector. We also plan to construct case studies of successful SME in the continent for educational purposes;

2. We are also looking at constructing African Equities and Bond Indices;

3. The other interesting thing we are looking at is the constructing of African Corporate Governance Indices. NEPAD is keen to support the project but currently have no budget for it. For this project I have, at the moment, a full-time PhD student at the Business School who I am still looking for funding to support; I am paying for all his cost privately;

4. Another project I am currently looking at is modelling the expected rewards of an improved investment climate in Africa using the IFC/World Bank indicators. I wrote a paper for Chris Darroll and her team along these lines;

5. We are also in the process of constructing African Commodities Indices. I also have a full-time PhD student (who I am privately sponsoring) working on this project. Again I have no funding      to support the project.

Comments

[Alain Berranger]

Dear Prof. Nicholas Biekpe:

I find it remarkable that you privately fund two full time PhD students... Congratulations! It is precisely the purpose of the ICBE Research Fund for Africa proposed by IDRC and TrustAfrica to provide competitive research grant funding for selected PhD students and others on current ICBE issues and problems on the continent or parts thereof.

[amandla dougan]

To whom it may concern,

I am look for Emerging Market or just investment Seminars / Confereences / Sumitts which are hosted in Africa. As we wish to sponsor, provide presenters, exhibit or just attend these.

Please send me this information via email or contact me should you require further info.

Regards
Amandla

[Edson Bagonza]

Where is this institution located in africa???.Kindly advise

[Hedge Fund]

I have been trying to learn more about investing in Africa, specifically hedge funds that are operating in South Africa. Does anyone here have experience with hedge funds?

- Richard
http://richard-wilson.blogspot.com

[Henry Maigurira]

Hello guys.

It is a plesure to realise some of the incredible work that you people embark on at the AICA in the way of making Africa an investment climate attractive to high business profile abroad with real power to big business ideas.

I am an inspired individual with charisma to engage with open minds on institutionalising research ideas, knowledge and capacities with advanced economies for progress through marketing, leadership and corporate governance best practices and professional ethics management for real economic growth that empowers people.

Our local universities have taken the stride in doing right things for business students interms of exposure and facilitation in the market place, however, problems of finance and scholarships for broader participation still has to be afforded to all deserving individuals with business investment talent.

What is apparent is the dire need for Africa to be the Investment destination of all profit making entities, still the need to be more sustainable on finance for development and investment is what remains to be achieved. How to do this is matter of prognosis doing what we have to do for our institutions to benchmark best practices of resource governance, transparency in financial markets, giving right information to facilitate decision making for effective good governance and aligning to environmental standards for future generations to utilise what we invest in now.

Regional bodies create right tracks, stable regimes that do facilitate and promote self reporting economies for effective business environment, effective exchange rates, infrastructure development, customs adminstration, trade and investment for the benefit of allowing aggregate foreign direct investment. The problem is the lack to achieve and utilisation of protocol and polies, the potential of what really protects and empowers matters on food and security, communications and the body 's mandated functions should seek to promote more exports and harmonised currencies especially oil producing countries to observe human rights and democracy postulate corporate social responsibilities with MNCs

Investment is the enabling drive to strengthen our capacity to govern everyday demand and supply matters.

[investment costa rica]

Investment comes with the risk of the loss of the principal sum. The investment that has not been thoroughly analyzed can be highly risky with respect to the investment owner because the possibility of losing money is not within the owner's control. The difference between speculation and investment can be subtle. It depends on the investment owner's mind whether the purpose is for lending the resource to someone else for economic purpose or not

[Capital Investment Analysis]

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The most important task of investment analysis is gathering the appropriate data. Selecting investments that will improve the financial performance of the business involves two fundamental tasks:
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