Anglo American to drive inclusive growth in SA with help from the UK

Nolitha Fakude, chair of Anglo American in South Africa. Image credit: Anglo American

Nolitha Fakude, chair of Anglo American in South Africa, said, “In South Africa, we have a number of innovative enterprises looking to address some of the most pressing local development needs; however, they may be struggling to scale and grow due to perceived lack of ‘investment readiness’ by potential investors.

“Our partnership with the UK’s FCDO provides invaluable support to the IFN in its mission to help what we call “impact companies” in South Africa overcome this barrier, ensuring continued bespoke pre-investment technical assistance, as well as access to a local and global network of investors seeking forward-thinking, quality investment opportunities which support South Africa’s long-term development.”

Commencing in January 2026, the FCDO will provide up to R100m over four years to support the IFN with its core activities in South Africa.

Anglo American's InvestFest 2025 | Building entrepreneurial resilience across Southern Africa

3 Oct 2025

This includes providing innovative businesses with technical assistance to help them become 'investment-ready' and making valuable connections with a network of investors seeking social investment opportunities.

The funds will also provide capital to grow the IFN’s recently piloted Catalytic Capital Facility in South Africa, one of the first to be established in the region.

This capital product facility, together with co-funding from the FCDO, will help businesses in some of South Africa’s more remote regions raise and de-risk the capital growth.