| Sector: | ICT |
| Deal Type: | Start-up Capital |
| Investment Year: | 2023 |
Lightstruck
Lightstruck is a developer and operator of affordable high-speed open access last-mile fibre optic networks across Namibia and South Africa.
| Sector: | ICT |
| Deal Type: | Start-up Capital |
| Investment Year: | 2023 |
Lightstruck is a developer and operator of affordable high-speed open access last-mile fibre optic networks across Namibia and South Africa.
My experience at Eos Academy has been invaluable, offering comprehensive training in investment processes, instilling confidence in deal-making, and reshaping my approach to investment analysis and financial evaluation. Immersion in real-world projects has deepened my grasp of private equity’s impact on our nation’s economic growth. The supportive team and management have made it an exceptional journey, and I’m thankful to the Eos team for fostering a growth-oriented work environment.
Position: Investor Advisory Committee Member (Chairperson)
Bio: Cacious is an Investment Professional with more than 18 years of experience in Investment Management (public and private markets) and is currently working as a Manager of Investment Services at the GIPF. Cacious serves as the Chairperson of the (NIDIF) Investors Advisory Committee.He holds a Bachelor of Accounting degree from UNAM, and an MBA from the University of Cape Town specializing in Finance, Strategy, and Entrepreneurship. Cacious was an MBA Exchange Student at the Israel Institute of Technology; and studied Innovation, Culture, and Entrepreneurship.Cacious has a passion for private equity and entrepreneurship.
My time at Eos has been an unparalleled experience. This journey has provided me with invaluable hands-on exposure to the investment process spanning from deal sourcing, financial analysis, and the complexities of structuring investments. The workplace ambiance, corporate culture and people management skills are top–tier. The atmosphere is just brimming with passionate, intelligent, and hardworking individuals who possess an unwavering commitment to making a profound impact in Namibia.
Position: Managing Director
Areas of Expertise: Investments, Economics, Portfolio Management
Bio: Immanuel Kadhila (IK) has accumulated 16 years of hands-on experience in Portfolio Management, Financial Markets, and Corporate Finance. His professional experience among many, includes:
Position: Chief Investment Officer
Qualifications: CAIA®, BCom in Economics, PgDip in Financial Planning, NDip in Agriculture, FMVA®
Bio: Frederico has a 13-year track record in banking, finance, and investments, with 5 years of experience in agricultural processing and retail. With a career spanning across various sectors, he understands the complexities of managing assets and the capital structures underpinning these assets. Frederico currently serves on the boards of portfolio assets expanding his strategic insight into the functioning and impact of the broader economy on these companies.
Position: Portfolio Manager
Qualifications: CA (SA)(Nam), BAcc in Accounting and Finance (Hons)
Bio: Schalk has over 13 years of experience as a Finance Executive with a history of working in the automotive, financial services, retail, and FMCG industries. He is skilled in Financial Accounting, Income Tax, Management Accounting, Auditing, and Financial Analysis.
Position: Manager: Administration
Bio: Emmarentia is a success-driven, talented professional with over 15 years of experience in office administration and management within the UN fraternity and the financial sector. She has excellent time management skills, serving multiple boards focusing on governance and compliance
Position: Finance, Compliance & Risk Manager
Qualifications: BAcc in Accounting (CA Stream), NIPA
Bio: Mateus completed his articles with KPMG Namibia and has more than 7 years of experience in financial accounting, taxation and auditing in the financial services and pension funds industry.
Position: Assistant Accountant
Qualifications: BBA in Banking & Finance (Hons)
Bio: Jodine is a driven finance and administration professional with 3 years of working experience in the financial sector. Jodine joined Eos Capital in June 2022 as a Front Office Manager and has since been promoted to Assistant Accountant. Her journey in the financial sector began with a deep-seated passion for financial management and risk assessment. Jodine’s thirst for new knowledge is evident in her aspirations to further her studies in finance.
Position: Senior Associate
Qualifications: BBusSc in Finance
Bio: Etuna is an investment professional with over 3 years of experience in private equity. Having graduated from the University of Cape Town (UCT), he joined Eos as an intern in July 2020 and has since been promoted to Senior Associate. He has a burning passion for developing Africa by finding innovative financing solutions to direct capital to high-impact projects. He has built extensive experience in infrastructure, agriculture, and SME finance during his time at Eos Capital and is currently enrolled for a MCom specialising in Development Finance through UCT’s Graduate School of Business.
Position: Associate
Qualifications: BCom in Mathematical Statistics and Economics, FMVA®
Bio: Justine is a dynamic professional at Eos Capital, where her journey began as an intern and swiftly evolved into the role of Associate. With a year and a half of experience in finance, she brings a fresh perspective and a passion for problem-solving to the team. As a recent graduate from the University of Cape Town, a certified Financial Modelling and Valuation Analyst (FMVA®) and aspiring CFA charter holder, Justine is dedicated to pursuing excellence in the world of finance. She is a previous Allan Gray Orbis Foundation candidate fellow and was selected as part of the African Leadership (ALx) Financial Analyst program. She has a deep-seated belief in investments that create value and positively impact the Namibian economy. During her tenure at Eos Capital, Justine has cultivated a strong foundation in finance and investment analysis with experience in infrastructure and agriculture financing.
Position: Junior Analyst
Qualifications: BAcc in Accounting (Hons), CFA Institute Investment Foundations Certificate
Bio: MacGyver is an aspiring investment professional and ardent real estate enthusiast who has a consulting background, where he closely worked with entrepreneurs. He graduated from the University of Namibia, where he actively participated in the University of Namibia Football Club and represented the Under 17, 18, and 20 Namibian Youth National Team. His accomplishments include winning the 2016 Oshana Newspaper Cup Regional Championship and securing the runner-up position in the 2018 Debmarine Cup. He was honoured with the Commonwealth Scholarship in partnership with the University of Namibia, enabling him to earn certificates in specialised areas such as Portfolio and Investment Management, Financial Management, Financial Markets, Private Equity and Valuation, Advanced Valuation, and Strategy, and Financial Modelling through Coursera. MacGyver joined Eos as part of the inaugural Eos Academy cohort and have since been promoted to Junior Analyst after starting as an intern in May 2023. He is currently working towards obtaining his Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) qualification.
Position: Independent Non-executive Director
Bio: Irvin was admitted as an attorney of the High Court of Namibia in April 2003 and joined Koep & Partners in January 2004. He is the head of the Firm’s commercial department.
Irvin concentrates on oil and gas law, both upstream and downstream, and undertakes due diligences in the acquisitions of interests in petroleum licences. He has advised multinationals, supermajors and mid-size multinational oil companies, and has successfully negotiated on their behalf with the Government of the Republic of Namibia regarding oil and gas concessions. He attends to the drawing of corporate and commercial contracts related to this.
Through his focus on banking and finance, he advises domestic and international banks on general banking business, commercial property finance, derivatives, debt capital markets, bilateral and syndicated facilities, structured finance products, project finance and development, restructuring, and the establishment and administration of special purpose security companies (SPVs) in project financing and the restructuring of existing financing.
Irvin also advises on Public Private Partnerships and Public Procurement and attends to due diligence investigations and the drafting of legal reports and related commercial agreements with respect to deliverables under related requests for proposals or expressions of interest.
Position: Independent Non-executive Director
Bio: Elzine is an accomplished and experienced partnerships leader with a 15-year strong track record of scoping and delivering large transformational projects in Sub-Saharan Africa and Europe. She has extensive experience in the financial services and oil and gas sectors, bringing a professional background in strategy and transformation from work within Africa and Europe. Elzine is also the founder of Impact Tank – Namibia’s first social impact venture builder, working in the impact investing sector since 2019.
Position: Independent Non-executive Director
Bio: Diina is an Economist at the Bank of Namibia in the Financial Markets Department. She gained extensive knowledge and experience in the commercial and central Banking environment, having worked for both FNB Namibia and held various positions in the Bank of Namibia. She holds a BCom in Financial Economics and Investment Management (Hons) and a BTech in Economics.
Position: Independent Non-executive Director
Bio: Sam has experience in private equity, investment banking, and strategy consulting. Prior to joining Gateway, he worked at Emerging Capital Partners (ECP), involved in the execution, portfolio management and origination of PE transactions across Sub-Saharan Africa. Before ECP, he was in Rand Merchant Bank’s Corporate Finance team, executing M&A and equity capital market transactions for private equity and mining clients. Sam started his career at Bain & Company, working on private equity due diligence and strategy cases for international clients. He has an MBA from the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School (selected as the Oxford Dean’s Scholar) and a Bachelor of Business Science in Finance (Hons) from the University of Cape Town, South Africa.
Position: Independent Non-executive Director
Bio: Fernando is the Chief Financial Officer at Namibia Water Corporation. He gained extensive knowledge and experience in the financial sector, having worked in the financial departments of various companies, including the Road Fund Administration, Rossing Uranium, Old Mutual Life Assurance (Namibia) Company Limited, and Deloitte and Touché Namibia. He holds a BCom in Accounting and a BCompt in Accounting (Hons), wherein he majored in Financial Management Accounting, Taxation, and Auditing.
Position: Independent Non-executive Director
Bio: Willem joined the Department of Water Affairs, where he worked for 11 years. He then transferred to the Namibia Water Corporation Ltd (NamWater), where he stayed for 20 years until October 2018. Since October 2018, he has been working as a freelance engineer in the open market. He holds a BEng (Mechanical) degree from the University of Stellenbosch and has obtained postgraduate qualifications in Project and Programme Management.
Position: Independent Non-executive Director
Bio: Alex is the current Statistician-General since 01 April 2016 and was the SADC Statistics Committee Chairperson from August 2018 to August 2019. He joined the Namibian Statistics Agency (NSA) from the Namibia Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) where he worked as the Chief Commercial Officer for close to 5 years. Alex is also a philanthropist who is a Founder member and Chairperson of the Donkerhoek Social Club, a charity organisation that was established in 2015 to assist the elders of Donkerhoek, Katutura. He holds an MBA and Master of Statistics degrees obtained from The Regent Business School (Republic of South Africa) and The University of New South Wales (Australia).
Position: Independent Non-executive Director
Bio: Emmanuel has several years of banking and finance experience after having served in senior and executive positions at commercial banks and development finance institutions. His areas of competency and interest include strategy, investments, and project appraisal; banking regulations and prudential standards; and credit risk management. He holds an MBL degree from the Unisa School of Business Leadership, an Honours Degree in Finance and Investments, a Post Graduate Diploma in Risk Management, and a B. Comm (Unam). He has exposure to modern governance and leadership practices and currently serves as chair of an SOE-owned commercial entity. In 2022, he was appointed to the Land Reform Advisory Commission (LRAC) where he oversees the Land Allocation and Development Fund (LADF) sub-committee. Emmanuel currently holds the position of Executive Credit at Agribank Namibia since 2018.
Position: Investment Committee Member
Bio: Arnold, the CEO of Agra Limited, is an Agri-sector leader with extensive experience in agribusiness turnarounds. He holds an Agricultural Economics degree from the University of Stellenbosch. Arnold has 28 years of working experience in Namibia’s agricultural sector, with 21 years at a senior management level. He has a great passion for agribusiness and a high standard of business ethics
Position: Investment Committee Member
Bio: Sakhile is an experienced Investment Professional with a 15-year track record in the investment management industry in South Africa. This included a brief period working in London, United Kingdom, and more recently, Namibia.
He is currently the Chief Executive Officer and founder of Bayakha Infrastructure Partners and leads fundraising, deal origination, and regulatory compliance of Bayakha Infrastructure Partners. He has deep sector knowledge of the power production value chain and infrastructure sectors. Sakhile understands, and is passionate about the global development agenda, and its intersection with private capital. He is also experienced in multiple asset classes including Listed Markets, Private Markets, Private Equity, Infrastructure, Equities, Bonds, and Derivatives.
Position: Investment Committee Member
Bio: Nigel has over 35 years of experience in infrastructure advisory and principle investing. He has worked with project finance teams at various banks and advisory teams including PwC when it was the world #1 ranked adviser, where he was a Partner.
He worked on toll road and transport deals in 20 countries, as adviser, lender, and investor. In South Africa he was a financial adviser to the South African National Roads Agency on the refinancing of several transport deals.
He acted as the lead financier for the Secondary Market Infrastructure Fund (SMIF), raising progressively £30m to £500m in a series of deals that led to SMIF owning 68 infrastructure assets. He was a director of TINFRA Management Limited, SMIF’s initial management vehicle and sat on the investment committees of two infrastructure funds: the Fondo PPP Italia and the Espirito Santo Infrastructure Fund.
Nigel is the Chairperson of the NIDIF and Euphrates Investment Committees and provides full-time advisory services to the Funds.
Position: Investor Advisory Committee Member
Bio: Hermann is a Senior Credit Manager at RMB Namibia. He has vast knowledge and expertise in the financial sector having worked in the financial departments of prominent companies such as Nedbank Namibia and Namibia Breweries. He holds a BCom (Hons) from the University of Stellenbosch and a MSc from Leeds University. Hermann has served on many boards such as the O&L Pension Fund Board of Trustees, FirstRand Namibia Pension Fund Board of Trustees and on the Euphrates Fund’s Investor Advisory Committee.
Position: Investor Advisory Committee Member
Bio: Dorian has over 19 years of working experience in the Retirement Funds sector which includes consulting, actuarial, and executive management, and 3 years of working experience in a banking asset liability management division. Dorian is a holder of various degrees. He holds an MBA with a specialisation in Strategic Planning from Herriot Watt University and Edinburgh Business School, a B. Com (Hons) in Financial Analysis and Portfolio Management from the University of Cape Town, and a B. Economics from the University of Namibia. He also completed a program in Retirement Funding at UNISA.
Position: Nominations, Conflict and Compliance Committee Member
Bio: David is a seasoned finance professional with a career in commercial banking spanning over 10 years. He possesses excellent research skills, and experience in the fundamental analysis of unlisted corporates across 5 jurisdictions and 4 currencies. He also has a strong foundation in Financial Analysis, Risk Analysis, Financial Modelling and Strategy. This allowed him to transition seamlessly into the world of investment analysis, where he brings a wealth of financial expertise and a keen analytical eye to his role in which he leverages his deep industry knowledge to provide valuable insights and guidance.
David holds a BCom in Economics & Finance, a PgDip in Management from UCT, and is also a Financial Modeling and Valuations Analyst (FMVA®).
Position: Junior Analyst
Qualifications: BSc in Financial Mathematics (Hons) (final year student)
Bio: Loise started as an intern at Eos Capital in May 2023, as part of the inaugural Eos Academy group and has since been promoted to Junior Analyst. She is an investment enthusiast who has achieved national recognition twice as one of the winners of the Namibia Scholars’ Investment Challenge in 2021 & 2022, an annual competition hosted by the Namibia Stock Exchange (NSX) in collaboration with various financial institutions. She is an aspiring Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and took the CFA Level I exam in August 2023. Beyond her financial pursuits, Loise is a critical thinker who won the 2021 World Bank Blog4Dev competition, and she is a member of the World Bank Youth Transforming Africa Program, committed to Africa’s development.
Position: Non-executive Director (Chairperson)
Bio: Ismael is an expert in the areas of banking and SME financing, having over 27 years of experience in the commercial banking industry, development banking as well as SME development. His professional career includes extensive tenure at Standard Bank Namibia, Namibia Development Corporation (NDC), Consumer Credit Namibia, a division of Nedbank Limited, Namibia National Reinsurance Corporation Ltd (NamibRe), the Institute of Bankers in Namibia (IOB Namibia) and Old Mutual Finance Namibia.
Position: Independent Non-executive Director
Bio: Ryno is a recipient of a special award from the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry in appreciation of his visible contributions to the development and growth of the Agriculture Sector in Namibia & honoured with the highest NAU award, Agristar, for his contributions to the agriculture sector. He is devoted and passionate about Namibian agriculture, with a wealth of knowledge regarding the Namibian agricultural landscape. Ryno is a respected leader in commercial agriculture and a full-time farmer with an Honours degree in BSc from Stellenbosch University. He sits on various boards, including the Namibia Brahman Breeders Society.