Silk Invest was founded in 2008 in London by Zin Bekkali and an established team of investment professionals with deep experience in investing in frontier and emerging markets.

Silk Invest has established itself as a leading frontier markets specialist with unique insights across investment opportunities. The primary investment focus is on Africa, the Middle East and Frontier Asia, with an emphasis on having local presence in the target regions. Silk Invest has pioneered investment strategies that capture consumer-driven trends in these markets that are led by local entrepreneurs with sustainable business models.

Silk Invest has two distinct investment teams covering public markets and private equity. The teams incorporate seasoned institutional managers with local market expertise, representing key frontier countries and operating from offices in London, Egypt, Morocco, UAE, Kenya, Pakistan and Nigeria.

Frontier Market Specialists

Silk Invest has a distinct perspective and experience in the frontier markets. This stems from its unique set-up with two independent teams of investment professionals managing public markets and private equity. All team members bring specialist knowledge and outstanding track records in their respective local markets.

Over the past two decades, the frontier markets have become an increasingly relevant investment opportunity for institutional investors. International investors under-estimate the importance of these markets and both the opportunities and challenges of investing in these markets. Silk Invest is one of the few investment firms which have allocated sufficient resources to open up these markets for investors.

Silk Invest’s main focus is to invest in firms with established business models that will outperform their local peers and become true leaders in their field. To execute on this, it is paramount to understand local macro dynamics, local business environment, local entrepreneurs and the local consumer.

Their Strategies

Silk Invest has two distinct investment teams covering:

• > Public Markets – Three strategies focusing on Frontier Markets Equities, African Equities and African Fixed Income
• > Private Equity – A dedicated African Food fund investing in FMCG and a joint venture with a Nigerian real estate developer.

Their Products:

• - Silk African Fixed Income Strategy
• - Silk Africa Lions Equity Strategy
• - Silk Road Frontier Equity Strategy