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Release:
New
Pan-African
Initiative
with
a
focus
on
infrastructure
funding
to
be
launched.
John
Oliphant
has
joined
forces
with
financial
services
industry
veterans
and
Fieldstone
Africa
to
establish
a
new
Pan-African
initiative
to
pursue
infrastructure
investment
opportunities.
Four
years
ago
Botha
Schabort
and
Leon
de
Wit,
both
businessmen
involved
with
the
establishment
of
the
listed
PSG
Group,
identified
the
need
for
the
South
African
institutional
market
to
participate
in
the
funding
of
infrastructure
assets,
and
specifically
renewable
energy
assets.
Fieldstone
Africa,
a
leading
Pan-
African
advisory
firm,
joined
forces
with
them
to
create
an
investment
team
with
a
unique
skills
set
and
access
to
deal
flow.
When
John
Oliphant,
the
former
Principal
Executive
Officer
of
the
GEPF,
decided
to
add
his
experience
and
passion
for
the
subject
to
their
initiative,
it
paved
the
way
for
the
establishment
of
Gaia
Investment
Partners
(Gaia).
Gaia
will
provide
complete
funding
solutions
to
infrastructure
challenges
across
the
African
continent
with
an
initial
focus
on
the
South
African
market.
The
firm
will
be
formally
launched
in
March
2015
under
the
leadership
of
Oliphant,
who
will
assume
the
role
of
Chief
Executive
Officer.
Gaia
will
house
a
unique
combination
of
skills,
which
will
include:
technical
engineering,
project
finance,
deal
flow,
capital
markets,
asset
management,
and
retirement
fund
management.
Commenting
on
the
launch
of
the
partnership,
Clive
Ferreira
says:
As
Fieldstone
we
are
excited
about
this
groundbreaking
initiative,
as
we
believe
it
represents
an
innovative
way
of
addressing
the
infrastructure
funding
deficit.
We
have
long
held
a
view
that
as
more
private
sector
infrastructure
projects
in
Africa
reach
commercial
operation,
there
will
be
a
need
for
short
term
capital
to
be
replaced
by
patient
long-term
income-seeking
capital.
To
date
the
African
long
term
savings
industry
has
not
participated
fully
in
terms
of
making
investments
in
infrastructure.
We
believe
that
Gaia
will
provide
an
important
conduit
for
long
term
investors
to
gain
meaningful
exposure
to
infrastructure
investment
opportunities.
Gaia
will
launch
having
concluded
transactions
amounting
to
R1.3
billion
in
the
South
African
renewable
energy
program,
with
a
significant
deal
pipeline
to
be
concluded
in
2015.
Notes
to
the
editor:
1) The
details
of
the
launch
of
Gaia
Investment
Partners
will
be
communicated
in
due
course.
In
the
meantime,
any
queries
regarding
this
release
should
be
addressed
to
indira@fpcg.co.za
2) About
John
Oliphant
John
Oliphant
is
the
former
Principal
Executive
Officer
(PEO)
of
the
GEPF,
the
largest
Pension
Fund
in
Africa
with
assets
north
of
(R1.4
trillion)
US$120
billion.
He
was
the
key
driver
behind
GEPF's
leading
investment
policies
and
strategy.
Working
closely
with
the
board,
he
managed
to
double
the
assets
of
the
GEPF
in
less
than
5
years,
during
the
toughest
economic
environment
in
recent
history.
John
also
served
on
a
number
of
key
strategic
industry
initiatives,
including
being
a
member
of
the
PRI
Advisory
Council
and
Chairman
of
CRISA.
John
helped
establish
the
Code
for
Responsible
Investing
in
South
Africa
(CRISA)
which
is
hailed
as
one
of
the
best
in
the
world.
This
lead
him
to
winning
an
Imbasa
Yegolide
Industry
Person
of
the
Year
Award
in
financial
services
in
2012.
He
was
also
recognised
by
the
Mail
and
Guardian
as
one
of
the
Top
200
young
South
Africans
in
2012,
for
his
contribution
to
the
pension
fund
industry.
In
2013
he
was
named
Africa's
Top
Emerging
Leader
by
Africa
Investor
magazine.
John
holds
a
BSc
(Hons)
in
Advanced
Mathematics
of
Finance,
and
a
BSc
in
Actuarial
Science
&
Mathematical
Statistics,
and
is
currently
studying
towards
an
MSc
in
Economic
Policy.
3) About
Fieldstone
Fieldstone
is
an
independent
international
investment
banking
boutique
providing
clients
with
sophisticated
financial
advisory
services.
It
is
a
leading
Pan-African
advisory
firm
having
been
recognized
as
an
advisor
of
the
year
in
Africa
by
Africa
Investor
for
6
successive
years
from
2008
to
2013.
Fieldstone
is
focused
on
the
energy
and
infrastructure
sectors.
Its
narrow
sector
focus
enables
it
to
provide
in-depth
services
and
insightful
solutions.
The
services
are
discreet,
relationship
driven,
and
individually
tailored
to
clients
needs.
Fieldstone
is
able
to
execute
complex
domestic,
international,
and
cross-border
transactions
based
on
its
broad
market
knowledge,
structuring
expertise,
and
demonstrated
access
to
capital
markets
around
the
globe.
Fieldstone
was
founded
in
1990,
is
100%
employee-owned,
and
has
more
than
40
professionals
working
in
key
locations
around
the
world.
www.fpcg.com