The East African-based impact investment fund, KawiSafi Ventures (KSV), has appointed Baafour Otu Boateng as an Investment Director. The strategic move aims to increase the impact of KSV’s investments on the continent. Boateng brings nine years of experience within the impact investment sector in Africa. Prior to joining KSV, Boateng served as an Investment Director at Investisseurs & Partenaires (I&P), an impact investing group focused on SMEs in Africa, and as a Volunteer Consultant at TechnoServe, mentoring and supporting start-up entrepreneurs in Ghana.
In an interview with KSV, Boateng discussed his passion for climate change and the opportunities climate finance and climate action offers to empower entrepreneurs and economies in Africa. However, he also expressed concern over the current trajectory of climate financing in Africa, which is not promising, and the need for concrete action to crowd in more private capital.
Boateng shared his excitement for the potential of e-mobility in the 2-wheeler segment in Africa and energy-efficient low-carbon solutions, which have the potential to drive wide-scale industrialization in manufacturing, cooling, agriculture, and recycling. He also provided advice for entrepreneurs who are building innovations to mitigate climate change in Africa, highlighting the need for resilience and adaptability.
KSV was created and developed by Acumen, an internationally recognized pioneer of impact investing that has invested more than $115 million in companies solving some of the biggest challenges of global poverty. KSV aims to achieve social and environmental impact by enabling access to clean energy products and services to underserved communities in developing economies.