Old Mutual Alternative Investments (OMAI), one of Africa’s largest private alternative investment managers, today announces the first investment of its Education Investment Impact Fund of South Africa (EduFund), its second education-focused fund, with the Sifiso Learning Group (SLG), a 100% Black Owned private education group.

Founded in 2017 by Sizwe Nxasana and Dr Judy Dlamini, SLG provides a project-based education model which integrates new and innovative teaching and learning techniques into its curriculum. SLG’s network of independent schools aim to provide Africa-focused and technology-enabled education, preparing Africa’s youth for the digital future.

EduFund’s investment, which consists of a debt facility to a special purpose vehicle forming part of SLG, was utilized in the development of the second phase of the Future Nation Fleurhof School, situated in the Fleurhof suburb of Roodepoort. The school consists of a pre-school, primary school and high school, and currently has 790 learners, with capacity to accommodate up to 1,220 learners. The school proudly employs 57 teachers, of which 92% are from Historically Disadvantaged Groups, with a student demographic profile that comes entirely from Historically Disadvantaged Groups.

Kelly Joshua, Head of Education Investments at OMAI, commented, “SLG is an excellent first addition to our portfolio; it’s a progressive and emerging education provider with an outstanding reputation…

“We are confident that we will continue to see strong growth in the education sector, driven by population growth, increasing demand from the emerging middle class, and a lack of capacity in existing schools and tertiary institutions.”

Sizwe Nxasana, Founder of Sifiso Learning Group and Future Nation Schools commented, “At Future Nation Schools, we believe that innovative, creative education has the potential to shape future generations of African leaders. The funding from OMAI has enabled us to continue to develop and strengthen our portfolio of schools, creating much needed education opportunities for South Africa’s youth.”

Edufund invests across the Affordable and Middle-Income market segments, tertiary and ancillary education services in addition to their Schools and Education Investment Impact Fund of South Africa (SEIIFSA). It was the country’s first education-focused impact fund, providing investors with consistent returns since 2011, boasts a portfolio of 39 schools with 22,800 learners.