CREDIT

Our goal at Goneke Investment Group (GIG) Credit is to ascend to the ranks of the largest credit asset managers on the African continent, establishing ourselves as a preeminent force in alternative investing. We are driven by a dual mission: to provide investors with attractive, risk-adjusted returns that outperform traditional benchmarks, and to empower borrowers—ranging from burgeoning startups to established enterprises—with the capital they need to strengthen, scale, and transform their businesses. This ambition reflects our commitment to bridging Africa’s financing gap, where access to credit remains a critical barrier to economic progress, particularly in emerging markets with vast untapped potential. GIG Credit operates at the intersection of innovation and stability, offering a diversified suite of credit solutions tailored to the dynamic needs of African economies. Our strategies span four key pillars—Private Corporate Credit, Liquid Corporate Credit, Infrastructure and Asset-Based Credit, and Real Estate Credit—each designed to deliver robust returns while supporting sustainable growth across vital sectors. By combining our deep sectoral expertise with a flexible investment approach, we aim to redefine credit asset management, delivering value that resonates with investors and borrowers alike.

Our Private Corporate Credit strategy focuses on providing bespoke, direct lending solutions to privately held companies across Africa’s high-growth sectors, such as energy, food, healthcare, real estate, and transportation. We offer senior secured loans, mezzanine financing, and bridge loans to businesses that require flexible capital to fuel expansion, refinance debt, or navigate transitional phases. For example, we might extend a $50 million loan to a Nigerian renewable energy firm to build solar plants, or provide growth capital to a South African healthcare provider expanding its rural clinic network. By acting as a sole or lead lender, we structure deals with favorable terms, ensuring strong covenant protections and attractive yields—typically targeting 8-12% annualized returns—while maintaining a keen focus on downside risk mitigation through rigorous collateral and cash flow analysis.

The Liquid Corporate Credit strategy targets investments in tradable debt instruments issued by African corporations, offering investors liquidity and diversification within the credit space. This includes high-yield bonds, syndicated loans, and convertible debt from companies in sectors like telecommunications, agribusiness, and manufacturing. For instance, we might invest in a bond issued by a Kenyan food processing company to fund its export expansion under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), or participate in a syndicated loan for a Ghanaian transportation firm upgrading its fleet. Our approach combines active portfolio management with market timing, capitalizing on undervalued opportunities in secondary markets to deliver steady income streams—often aiming for 6-10% returns—while maintaining flexibility to adjust holdings as market conditions evolve.

Our Infrastructure and Asset-Based Credit strategy provides financing for large-scale infrastructure projects and asset-backed opportunities that underpin Africa’s economic development. We target energy grids, transportation hubs, water treatment plants, and telecommunications networks, offering secured loans backed by tangible assets or revenue-generating contracts. For example, we might finance a $100 million toll road project in Ethiopia with a 15-year repayment horizon, secured by toll revenues, or fund a solar farm in Morocco with equipment as collateral. These investments, often yielding 7-11% annually, leverage GIG’s infrastructure expertise to de-risk transactions, ensuring stable cash flows and long-term value creation that aligns with the continent’s growth trajectory.

The Real Estate Credit strategy focuses on providing debt financing for property development, acquisition, and repositioning across Africa’s urban and emerging markets. We offer construction loans, mortgage-backed facilities, and bridge financing for residential, commercial, and industrial projects. For instance, we might provide a $75 million construction loan for a mixed-use development in Lagos, secured by the underlying property, or fund the acquisition of a distressed office building in Johannesburg for repositioning into a premium asset. Targeting returns of 9-13%, this strategy capitalizes on Africa’s urbanization boom—projected to see 60% of its population in cities by 2050—delivering both capital preservation and growth through carefully structured deals.

GIG Credit provides investors with a unique opportunity to access high-quality, alternative credit investments that extend beyond traditional equity markets. With the flexibility to invest across various levels of a company’s capital structure—from senior debt to subordinated loans—we tailor our financing to match the specific risk-return profiles of our investors, whether they seek stability or higher yields. Specializing in energy, food, healthcare, real estate, and transportation—sectors with core infrastructure characteristics—we drive sustainable growth by supporting businesses that address fundamental human needs and economic resilience. For example, financing a healthcare network not only yields returns but improves access to care, while funding a logistics firm enhances trade efficiency under AfCFTA.

Operating seamlessly within the broader GIG platform, GIG Credit leverages the firm’s extensive market intelligence, industry expertise, and operational insight to originate, assess, and structure tailored credit opportunities. Our proprietary data analytics, drawn from GIG’s decades-long presence in Africa, allow us to identify high-potential borrowers—such as an energy startup with a breakthrough technology or a real estate developer with a prime land bank—before they hit mainstream markets. As sole, lead, or anchor investor, we secure advantageous terms, negotiate robust protections, and create strong, risk-adjusted returns, often targeting an IRR of 10-15% across our portfolio. By embedding infrastructure expertise into our credit strategies—understanding everything from power plant economics to urban development cycles—we build long-term value and deliver dependable returns throughout the investment lifecycle, from origination to maturity.

Our credit solutions are as dynamic as the markets we serve, reflecting the diverse and evolving needs of African borrowers. GIG Credit provides bespoke financing options across a wide spectrum, including:

• Greenfield Projects: Funding new ventures, like a wind farm in Senegal, from inception to operation.
• Brownfield Projects: Supporting established assets, such as upgrading a hospital in Uganda, to enhance efficiency and scale.
• Acquisitions: Financing buyouts, like a transportation company acquiring a competitor to consolidate market share.
• Growth Funding: Providing capital for expansion, such as a food processor scaling to meet export demand.
• Restructuring: Refinancing distressed firms, like a real estate developer restructuring debt to avoid foreclosure.
• Secondary Market Opportunities: Purchasing undervalued loans or bonds, such as a discounted healthcare debt tranche, for resale or hold-to-maturity gains.

This distinctive, flexible investment approach is designed to meet complex capital requirements—whether it’s a $200 million infrastructure loan or a $20 million corporate bridge facility—while ensuring robust portfolio management. Through active oversight, stress-tested underwriting, and continuous monitoring, we offer investors the confidence of steady growth and resilient downside protection, balancing yield with capital preservation in even the most volatile markets.

Our platform is strategically designed to evolve alongside Africa’s credit markets, ensuring longevity and adaptability in a landscape marked by rapid change and untapped potential. This incumbency—our established presence and deep-rooted relationships—positions GIG Credit as a trusted partner capable of originating high-quality opportunities on behalf of our clients. With years of experience navigating regulatory frameworks, building local networks, and understanding cultural nuances across the continent, we have cultivated a deep well of connections with governments, financial institutions, and business leaders—from Cairo to Cape Town. These relationships translate into a competitive edge, allowing us to source deals off-market, secure preferential terms, and act swiftly when opportunities arise. For instance, our longstanding ties with a regional development bank might unlock co-financing for a transportation project, while our rapport with a local energy ministry could expedite permits for a power plant loan. This incumbency ensures that our Funds remain at the forefront of credit origination, delivering exclusive access to transactions that enhance portfolio performance and sustain our leadership ambitions over the long term.

Innovation is the lifeblood of GIG Credit, driving our ability to deliver complete capital solutions that span the liquidity and risk spectrum—from highly liquid bonds to illiquid private loans. Our close partnerships with borrowers enable us to pinpoint additional opportunities to create value, tailoring financing to their unique needs and market conditions. For example, we might structure a hybrid debt-equity facility for a healthcare startup, blending a low-interest loan with a minority equity stake to share in its upside, or offer a revolving credit line to a real estate developer to fund phased construction, adjusting terms as milestones are met. This innovative approach extends beyond deal structuring to portfolio management, where we employ cutting-edge tools like AI-driven risk modeling and real-time market analytics to optimize returns and mitigate risks. Our willingness to pioneer new financing models—such as revenue-based lending for small agribusinesses or green bonds for renewable energy projects—sets us apart, allowing us to capture value in nascent markets and deliver solutions that traditional lenders overlook. By staying ahead of the curve, we ensure that our investors benefit from both creativity and stability, reinforcing GIG Credit’s role as a trailblazer in African credit markets.

The cornerstone of GIG Credit’s success is our exceptional team, averaging more than 20 years of experience per investment professional, complemented by the broader expertise of the GIG network. Our credit specialists bring decades of hands-on knowledge in corporate lending, infrastructure finance, and real estate debt, honed across Africa’s diverse markets—from structuring loans in volatile economies like Zimbabwe to managing portfolios in stable hubs like South Africa. This depth of experience equips us to navigate complex transactions with confidence, whether it’s assessing the viability of a food supply chain loan or stress-testing an infrastructure project’s cash flows.

Beyond our core team, we leverage the extensive resources of the GIG platform, which includes an impressive roster of senior advisors—former CEOs, policymakers, and industry titans—and data scientists who provide cutting-edge analytics. For instance, a senior advisor with energy sector expertise might guide a power plant financing deal, while our data team models macroeconomic risks like currency depreciation or commodity price swings. This interdisciplinary collaboration ensures that every investment decision is informed by a 360-degree perspective, blending seasoned judgment with quantitative precision to deliver outcomes that exceed expectations and solidify our path to becoming a continental leader in credit asset management.