Overview

"umbono",
n. vision: imagination; point of view

Our application of "umbono",
n. bold innovation in investment and financial decisions, "creative light", ingenuity

Umbono Capital is a niche investment group focused on African energy and natural resources principal investing and client investment management.

Umbono Capital was founded in 1998 by a team of professionals with the aim of creating Africa's premier investment group, with a particular focus on mining, energy and other natural resources. Historically Umbono has provided asset management, investing, financing and transaction advisory decisions (with a cumulative transaction of over R100bn) to its clients in the mining, energy and telecommunications sectors.

In 2003 Umbono launched a principal investment company with $2m starting capital and built a private equity portfolio valued at $150m-$250m.

Umbono fosters a strong culture of entrepreneurship and the pursuit of learning for professional and personal development of our staff. Our passion is to serve our clients with bold innovation in developing business solutions that produce extraordinary results.

Some development milestones:

• 1998 business started providing corporate finance services to significant global mining and energy clients based in SA
• 2000 established key broad based social-impact trusts owning 23%, resultant 53% BEE ownership structure in South Africa providing unique African "home advantage"
• 2000 asset management JV with Old Mutual grew to >$5bn funds under management, exited controlling position in 2007 when Old Mutual moved to 67%
• 2004 launched principal investment Fund #1 with $2m starting capital. First investments made in Canada in 2004 (JV with Sumitomo) and South Africa in 2005 (25m ounce platinum resource)
• 2004 – 2009 Fund #1 grew to $150m-$250m portfolio in 5 years.

“Building Africa’s Premier Investment Group”