Media Release


Sustainable Capital’s drive to pioneer sustainable investment funds in Africa boosted through strategic association with Sanlam Investments.

2 November 2009, Port Louis (Mauritius)/ Cape Town (South Africa)

Sustainable Capital, an African sustainable investment (SI) asset manager based in Port Louis, Mauritius today announced that it had concluded a strategic association with Sanlam Investments, a division of the Sanlam Group, a leading South African financial institution with more than $40bn US in global assets under management.
Founded in 2008 by Kevin Macdonald and Greg Barker, Sustainable Capital is a focused SI manager fully integrating its proprietary sustainability research into its investment process. Kevin Macdonald, the Managing Director of Sustainable Capital, said: “We are passionate about the impact that sustainable investment has on long-term investor returns and the operating environments of listed companies in Africa, and are very excited about the association with Sanlam Investments. A recent IFC/Mercer Report on the state of sustainable investment in emerging markets revealed that there are no “SI-labeled” funds that offer African investment opportunities for investors, and we are delighted to be pioneering this drive into Africa in conjunction with Sanlam Investments.” Sanlam Investments’ strategy is to empower owner/managed businesses and enhance their boutique qualities by lending corporate and investment resources to support and enhance growth.
Sustainable Capital also announced the launch of the Africa Sustainability Fund today which focuses on listed companies with the majority of their economic benefit derived from the African continent excluding South Africa. The fund is domiciled in Mauritius, listed on the Stock Exchange of Mauritius (a member of the World Federation of Stock Exchanges) and regulated by the Financial Services Commission of Mauritius and the Stock Exchange of Mauritius.
Greg Barker, Director of Research commented: “We believe that investments in Africa require a unique assessment of all possible risks. Unlike most asset managers, who focus solely on financial information in the determination of fair value, at Sustainable Capital we believe that by combining rigorous fundamental investment research with detailed investigations into material sustainability factors, we can determine a better reflection of a company’s true long-term value. We believe that by assessing, and pricing, these risks and opportunities Sustainable Capital will deliver higher long-term risk-adjusted returns to investors.”
Johan van der Merwe, CEO of Sanlam Investments says there is a global shift towards sustainable investing. “Whereas previously, sustainable investing was a ‘sideline’, it is rapidly increasing in importance. The mainstream institutional marketplace is taking it more seriously, both because of a growing social consciousness and because sustainable investing has delivered some very healthy returns.
“Our partnership with Sustainable Capital is extremely significant to us, not only because it will contribute meaningfully to investment on the African continent, but also because it provides an exciting new avenue for us.”
ends

About Sanlam Investments
Sanlam Investments consists of some of South Africa's leading investment and wealth management businesses and is based in Cape Town, with a presence in Sub-Saharan Africa, the United Kingdom and Europe.

The business is diversified across a broad range of specialist investment businesses. Its areas of expertise include conventional asset management, alternative investment solutions, collective investment schemes, employee benefits, property asset management, private client investment management and stock broking, multi-management, structured products, private equity fund management and risk management. It provides these investment services to a diverse client base that includes corporations, financial institutions, governments and government agencies.
The Sanlam Group was founded in 1918 and has US$40-billion in global assets under management.

Sanlam Investments
Johan van der Merwe
Sanlam Investments
Tel: 021-950-2945
johanvdm@sim.sanlam.com
Julie Etheridge
Atmosphere Communications
Tel : 021 461 2117
Julie@atmosphere.co.za