1. How was AfricaSIF created?
The Africa Social Investment Forum [AfricaSIF] was created in 2009 by a group of African investment practitioners. Throughout 2009, this network grew through the development of soft and hard infrastructure, attracting people to the AfricaSIF Steering Committee, Advisory Council, and Board of Trustees. From the beginning, the AfricaSIF project was built purposefully pan-African, currently being driven by Africans from Nigeria, Kenya, Cote d'Ivoire, and South Africa, with colleagues from North Africa (Morocco and Egypt) to follow. To learn more about the AfricaSIF community, please go to: http://africasif.org/people
2. What is the AfricaSIF future?
AfricaSIF is the platform for scaling up the answers in a systemic way connecting Africa to the world and the world to Africa. AfricaSIF aims to attractive sustainable investment for sustainable development - new capital in new ways.
3. What is AfricaSIF’s mission?
AfricaSIF’s mission is to promote sustainable development in Africa by attracting sustainable finance and responsible investment across asset classes, countries, and stakeholders. Our vision is to have the majority of investment decisions contribute to sustainable development in Africa. As a not-for-profit network systemically advocating and promoting best practice in integrating environmental, social and governance [ESG] factors into investment, we believe that the need for sustainable development affects all investment decisions in Africa. The answers will impact the future of investing in both the public and private sector asset management professions into Africa.
4. How does AfricaSIF define sustainable investment?
“Sustainable investment” [SI] is defined as investment using strategies and processes that integrate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors. AfricaSIF is currently developing a revised definition of sustainable investment for investment practitioners in Africa to use.
5. How is AfricaSIF operated?
AfricaSIF is operated as not-for-profit a network, knowledgebase, and advocate for sustainable development in Africa. AfricaSIF’s key stakeholders include AfricaSIF members and the AfricaSIF project team. AfricaSIF members may be individuals or institutions active along the investment value chain from pension fund to investment analyst, from project financier to green investor, from philanthropy advisor to policy maker. The AfricaSIF Project team is made up of individuals in the investment space who are connected to Africa. This project team includes: i) The AfricaSIF Advisory Panel, providing input on items ranging from technical capabilities and roles to marketing, from investment to languages or sustainable development; ii) The AfricaSIF Board, playing a fundamental role in connecting AfricaSIF to appropriate accountability mechanisms under the guidance of the Chair through annual Board meetings. iii) AfricaSIF Steering Committee, actively building out the strategy as a workplan for 2010-11 to take AfricaSIF from an idea to a thriving community of investment practitioners connected, sharing knowledge and making sustainable investment happen on the ground in Africa.
6. Is AfricaSIF connected to other Social/Sustainable Investment Forums?
AfricaSIF is connected to other Social/Sustainable Investment Forums around the world. We have indeed developed relationships with:
o Social Investment Forum (SIF) in United States of America: www.socialinvest.org
o UKSIF in the United Kingdom: www.uksif.org
o EuroSIF in Europe: www.eurosif.org
o ASrIA in Asia: www.asria.org
o Dutch Social Investment Forum in the Netherlands: www.vdbo.nl
o Social Investment Organization (SIO) in Canada: www.socialinvestment.ca
7. How can you become an AfricaSIF member?
You can help make the AfricaSIF vision happen by joining us as a Member, Associate Member or Charter Member.
8. Is it possible to make a donation to AfricaSIF?
Yes, it is possible to make a donation to AfricaSIF. AfricaSIF relies on funding from people like you to connect Africa to the world, and the world to investment in Africa. Your funding helps us increase our network, build the knowledgebase and increase our advocacy. [Coming soon] Please support us by donating through our PayPal account [...] or email us at africasif@gmail.com.
9. Who are AfricaSIF’s key partners?
AfricaSIF benefits from the support and partnership from individuals and organizations. Such organizations include social/sustainable forums from around the world, such as:
o Sustainable Investment Forum (www.socialinvest.org )
o UKSIF (www.uksif.org )
o Eurosif (www.eurosif.org)
o ASRIA, The Association for Sustainable & Responsible Investment in Asia (www.asria.org)
o VBDO Dutch Social Investment Forum (www.vdbo.nl )
o Social Investment Organization (SIO) in Canada (www.socialinvestment.ca)
o To learn more about AfricaSIF’s stakeholders, please go to: http://africasif.org/stakeholders
10. What are the benefits of being an AfricaSIF member?
AfricaSIF is designed to offer members a network of peers, a knowledgebase of research & analysis including a bi-annual survey of assets in Africa, and a pan-African advocate for sustainable investment in countries where we have a critical mass of members. Most AfricaSIF work will be member-led and provide opportunities for member involvement and leadership, such as:
* Network: Networking with industry leaders through our working groups, round-tables, and virtual discussion groups. Automatic invitation to AfricaSIF launch events in Africa and internationally, as well as our planned Sustainable investment in Africa conference. Outreach to potential clients through materials targeted at more than 200,000 members of SIFs globally each year.
* Knowledgebase: Investment industry research through AfricaSIF bi-annual reports, sustainability issue guides, fund profiles, media program and other resources. Research that builds credibility for sustainable investment in academic and policy circles, increases visibility, and provides a key information service benefit to members, including first access to breaking research.
* Advocate: Media, policymaker and public education campaigns in Africa that enhances the visibility, credibility, impact, and growth of sustainable investment in Africa, and in the world.
11. How can you contribute to AfricaSIF’s knowledge library?
The AfricaSIF knowledge library is a members-only repository of research and report materials of interest on the subjects of sustainable investment and Africa. As an AfricaSIF member, you have access to all of these resources. Our goal is to develop and collect research that builds credibility for sustainable investment in academic and policy circles, increases visibility, and provides a key information service benefit to members, including first access to breaking research. To contribute to the knowledge library by suggesting the addition of new documents to the library or by participating in AfricaSIF’s future research projects, please contact us at africasif@gmail.com. Members may access the library, please go to: http://africasif.org/library
12. How can you contact AfricaSIF?
To contact us to participate in the AfricaSIF project team activities, support us through donations, or submit some event information that could be of interest to the AfricaSIF community, please email us at: africasif@gmail.com.
