Our belief
Impact investment refers to the investment into companies and organisations with the goal of generating a beneficial social and environmental change.
We strive to create social and environmental impact in addition to financial returns. Our focus is on education and financial inclusion and mid-stage, scalable acquisitions because these are key to catalysing growth and effecting real, sustainable change in crucial areas of our economy.
Access to quality education delivered by skilled educators has far-reaching effects. Beyond improving overall education levels in South Africa, quality education positively improves many other areas of the economy. The labour market in general benefits as well as less-often considered areas, like research and development, which leads to accelerated technological innovation.
Investing in financial inclusion enables us to extend access to the formal financial system to both individuals and small businesses. This in turn triggers an increase in savings, spending, and investment across the economy.
It is both a privilege and responsibility to use our expertise to benefit South Africans. Ultimately our true strength lies in our ability to influence the companies within our portfolio to partner with us to effect real, tangible changes
MIC Khulisani Ventures
MIC Khulisani Ventures is R150 million early-stage investment vehicle targeting black-owned innovative, high growth businesses in South Africa.
MIC Khulisani Ventures is our flagship initiative aimed at creating sustainable social change. Through Khulisani we invest in promising cash generative businesses in a variety of sectors. These businesses provide innovative products or services that disrupt traditional markets, improve efficiencies or respond to existing problems in South Africa.
Investees are funded between R15 million to R30 million in order to spur growth and expansion in South Africa and beyond.
The venture addresses the significant gap in post-revenue investment for businesses that are not plugged into the dominant streams of venture capital networks.
Many black-owned investment-ready ventures are business ideas that can shift industries and society but simply do not take off due to lack of support and funding. This gap in support is even more pronounced for black women-owned and led start-ups.
The ultimate goal of MIC Khulisani Ventures is to accelerate the growth of black entrepreneurs.
TooMuchWiFi
In an age defined by digital technology, internet access is vital for the full flourishing of any successful business enterprise. However, South Africa’s internet services are some of the most expensive in the world.
Established in 2016, Cape Town based TooMuchWifi provides premium but affordable wireless internet to underserved communities. The vision guiding TooMuchWifi is highly impactful because the company expands internet access and thereby accelerates small-scale business as well as over-all economic growth.
MIC Transaction Overview
• In 2022, MIC acquired a 24.85% stake in TooMuchWifi.
Pineapple
Pineapple is one of the leading pioneers in the South African digital insurer. The company has revolutionised how we do insurance by restructuring insurance products to limit the profit we may make as insurance providers, maximising the value that a client gets, enabling the company to distribute leftover premiums back to its members. Pineapple aims to make insurance accessible to anyone, anywhere, anytime, and is 100% digital.
MIC Transaction Overview
• In November ’23, MIC invested R68.5m in Pineapple.