Ninety-One eyes private debt for pension inflows

Seeing opportunities: Sebonina, is seeing opportunities for the returning pension fund billions in private debt as well as infrastructure credit, transactions that would grow the local economy.

Ninety-One Botswana managing director, Martinus Seboni, told BusinessWeek that more businesses were moving away from the traditional funding sources for the expansion. The asset manager is part of a global group with assets under management of about $160 billion.

“We think the next growth area is private debt and in particular credit that is not listed,” he said on the sidelines of a recent stakeholder update by the asset manager. “So what we are seeing is that a lot of mid-sized companies are looking to expand and grow their businesses. “Traditionally, they go to the banks to borrow that money because they have had that relationship and are more comfortable going there. “We are saying they are beginning to open up their balance sheets to allow other capital to come in. “And so for that, we think there’s an opportunity.”