Marula Square is an independent investment management group founded by like minded professionals aspiring to make a positive impact in Sub-Saharan African countries.
Marula Square
As we are currently in the process of deploying our funds, we are keen to get in touch with entrepreneurs that match the investment criteria as described below.
Our vision
The Marula Tree (sclerocarya birrea) is a tree indigenous to Sub-Saharan Africa and for us symbolises the growth of the Sub-Saharan African continent. We aim to catalyse Africa's immense potential by investing in sustainable enterprises that leverage the continent's dynamic population growth and entrepreneurial drive.
We are dedicated to driving positive change, generating financial returns and empowering local communities. Specifically, we are investing in visionary entrepreneurs in education technology, quality healthcare, and agricultural productivity in Africa.
We are dedicated to driving positive change, generating financial returns and empowering local communities. Specifically, we are investing in visionary entrepreneurs in education technology, quality healthcare, and agricultural productivity in Africa.
With the sincerest respect for local cultures and ways of working, we enter into partnerships with high-potential Sub-Saharan African entrepreneurs, as well as incubators and accelerators that connect us to such entrepreneurs. On the other side, we are building a network of experienced investors with the right attitude and values, to unlock mind-opening and exciting opportunities for them. On 31 January 2023, the 1st closing of our first investment fund took place. We are now actively looking for investment opportunities that fit the below-mentioned criteria.
Our approach
The kind of ventures we are looking for
The purpose of the enterprise is aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals 2,3 and/or 4
The business idea has growth potential and addresses a genuine problem
The top management team consists of at least two people culturally Sub-Saharan African
The business is active in education-technology, private healthcare and/or agri-processing
Operations predominantly in South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya and/or Ghana
The team is gender diverse and/or has clear targets in this regard
I am an entrepreneur
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I am an investor
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I am an entrepreneur
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Our investments
Facilitating seamless placement of verified locums (temporary workers) to practices, pharmacies, hospitals, and clinics across South Africa.
Providing commerce infrastructure and embedded finance solutions for
Nigeria's informal processors and retailers of agricultural produce.
Nigeria's informal processors and retailers of agricultural produce.
Democratising access to healthcare by leveraging tech solutions including SMS, Telehealth and Web.
Preparing Africas youth for the future labour market by transforming education for K-12 and tertiary institutions with immersive coding and robotics programs.
Solving legacy inefficiencies in Africa's agricultural supply chain, providing crop processing, financial services, and critical micro-insurance products to farmers via an integrated delivery model in Nigeria.
Delivering banking services directly to farmers' mobile phones, giving them easy access to farming inputs like fertilisers, seeds, tractors, weather services, crop insurance, and more.
Revolutionising the Nigerian healthcare industry by leveraging advanced digital tools to enhance accessibility, efficiency, and effectiveness in healthcare services.
Leveraging the power of real-world healthcare data, technology, and people to unleash success for the benefit of patients and organisations.
Reshaping how people in Africa access healthcare through an omnichannel platform on which treatments, laboratory tests and vaccinations can be purchased.
Solving for food waste in Kenya one different-looking veggie at a time.
Simple, fast and flexible business loans for agriculture and food SMEs in South Africa.
Improving access to education by offering affordable finance, high-quality products, and learning materials to private schools in East-Africa.
Disrupting the conventional supply chain by establishing a cohesive ecosystem that provides mid-sized farms and thousands of smallholder farmers with essential training, modern inputs, and, crucially, access to markets for their produce.
Core Team
Elvira de Jong - Chair
Experienced corporate lawyer, board advisor and start-up mentor. Knowledgeable on corporate governance, crisis management and impact investing in Africa. Acted as a startup mentor at the Entrepreneurship World Cup, the Oxford Social Entrepreneurship Programme and the Africa Innovation Fellowship. Fluent in Dutch, English and French. LL.M. (Hons) from the University of Amsterdam, and SBS Oxford EMBA graduate.
Xueming Zhao - Board Member
Bank executive and Treasurer. Currently serving as Senior Vice President and Treasurer at a Canadian bank heading up the functions of capital market, liquidity, alternative funding, capital management, ALM, and balance sheet strategy. Also serves as the chair of the pension committee. Expertise in derivatives and fixed income, pension, and strategy. Work experience in the US, Canada, and China. SBS Oxford EMBA graduate.
Michael Delefes - Board Member
Over 14 years of experience in banking and asset management. Specializing in alternative investment strategies ranging from public to private equity. Michael has worked all over the world spending a great deal of time in South East Asia, China and the Middle East. Most recently Michael worked for CastleMill Equity Partners focusing on UK small and medium cap buyouts. SBS Oxford EMBA graduate.
Jon Almond - Chair of the Investment Committee
Fintech entrepreneur. Previous mining industry executive with over 15 years experience in leadership roles primarily supporting teams through complex cultural and technical transformation in Africa, Middle East and Australia. Experienced in strategy, mergers and acquisitions, contracting, operations, corporate turnaround, financial modelling and government relations. SBS Oxford EMBA graduate.
Suad Fakih - Chair of the Venture Success Committee
Suad Fakih brings over 15 years of hands-on experience in corporate and venture capital fields, coupled with a stint as a small business owner culminating in a successful exit. She excels in managing relationships, raising funds, refining business models, and executing operations across diverse global markets. Suad holds an Executive MBA from the University of Oxford and is proficient in English, French, and Spanish, enhancing her ability to connect with stakeholders worldwide.
Jada Badu - Country Ambassador Ghana
Seasoned legal professional with experience in commercial dispute resolution at the Bar, private practice, and more recently, legal and compliance for Fortune 10 companies. Jada excels in building relationships and leading complex negotiations to create partnerships and drive strategic initiatives. She is passionate about connecting capital with transformative ideas in Africa. A recent SBS Oxford EMBA graduate and alumnus of both the University of Cambridge and University of London.
Experienced legal practicioner at the Bar, in private practice, and in house. Over the course of my employment I dabbled in data analytics, strategic procurement, account management, regulatory compliance, and talent acquisition. It was while undertaking this role that it dawned on me that while my background and experience are in law, my passion lies in building things from scratch and creating structures/processes in the midst of chaos. To this end, I embarked on the SBS Oxford EMBA in January 2022 to better understand the theoretical underpinnings of business.
Experienced legal practicioner at the Bar, in private practice, and in house. Over the course of my employment I dabbled in data analytics, strategic procurement, account management, regulatory compliance, and talent acquisition. It was while undertaking this role that it dawned on me that while my background and experience are in law, my passion lies in building things from scratch and creating structures/processes in the midst of chaos. To this end, I embarked on the SBS Oxford EMBA in January 2022 to better understand the theoretical underpinnings of business.
James Maduekeh - Country Ambassador Nigeria
Development banker with nearly 20 years of experience, specialising in treasury solutions for African infrastructure. I presently lead the treasury client solutions business at a top African infrastructure solutions provider, with speciality in derivatives, structured finance, foreign exchange, fixed income, and balance sheet optimisation. Also, I am a trusted advisor to African central banks and a former Vice Chairman at FMDA Nigeria. In these roles I strive to profoundly influence financial and sustainable development across the continent. Finally, I hold advisory positions with various African startups and possesses an MEng (Bachelor and Masters) in Chemical Engineering from UCL and an SBS Oxford EMBA.
Mind Mabhunu - Country Ambassador South Africa
Over 15 years of banking and financial services experience. Currently, I am the head of one of the business units in Personal and Private Banking Coverage at Standard Bank South Africa where I have strategy, income statement, budget, and operations responsibilities. Former management consultant at McKinsey and Company with experience in problem-solving, shaping strategies and strengthening operations. I have an established track record in operations optimisation, product ownership, delivering new/incremental revenue and implementing go to market strategy. I hold a Master of Finance from Rhodes University and SBS Oxford Executive MBA. I am an African who is passionate about transforming the African continent.
John Gitau - Country Ambassador Kenya
John Gitau is a seasoned technology executive with over 20 years of experience, having founded three successful companies. He excels in leading acquisitions and business restructuring efforts. He provides strategic product guidance across various sectors, emphasizing leveraging technology to drive business value. Gitau focuses on telecoms and how partnerships with service providers can create and unlock value. Based in Kenya, he served as a special advisor to the Cabinet Secretary at the Ministry of ICT, concentrating on commercialising technology for economic growth and adopting emerging technologies like AI. He is a managing partner at MBD International UAE, focusing on Africa. He is also at Oxford University completing an EMBA.
Chrissy Liu – Investor Relations
Strategy advisory executive, startup mentor and board member based in Sweden, specialised in corporate, commercial/growth strategy and transformation. Chrissy is passionate about helping businesses and individuals to grow with great purpose, impact, and profit. 9 years strategy consulting experience in various industries in UK, China and Sweden. 5 years corporate experience in Volvo Cars global headquarter in group strategy, commercial transformation, sustainability (with focus on climate actions), procurement and supply chain strategy. Oxford SBS EMBA graduate. Also serves as Marula Square Investment Committee member.
Frequently asked questions
A: There's many ways to do this, but we particularly like the approach of Guy Kawasaki: The only 10 slides you need in your pitch
A: Given the quality of our respective networks in these countries and the appetite of our investors, we have an initial focus on South Africa, Kenya, Ghana and Nigeria.
A: We focus on ventures offering education-technology, private healthcare and agri-processing solutions.
A: We make investments up to USD 100.000 each, and we have a solid network of partners ready to invest alongside us.
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