Impact investing in South Africa: managing tensions between financial returns and social impact

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 397-419 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eunivicia Matlhogonolo Mogapi ◽  
Margaret Mary Sutherland ◽  
Anthony Wilson-Prangley
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Emerging Market ◽  
Financial Returns ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Financial Return ◽  
Impact Investing ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
The Impact

Purpose Impact investment is an emergent field worldwide and it can play an especially important role in Africa. The aim of this study was to examine how impact investors in South Africa manage the tensions between financial returns and social impact. Design/methodology/approach The research was based on 15 semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders in the impact investment community in South Africa to understand the related challenges, trade-offs and tensions. Findings There are two opposing views expressed as to whether the tensions between financial return and social impact result in trade-offs. It is proposed that impact investors embrace this duality and seek to approach it through a contingency and a paradox view. The tensions can be approached by focussing on values alignment, contracting processes, engaged leadership and sector identification. The authors integrate the findings into a proposed framework for effective tension management in an impact investment portfolio. Research limitations/implications This study was limited to selected South African interviewees. It would be valuable to extend the study to other African countries. Practical implications The issue of values alignment between investors, fund managers and investee firms is an important finding for practice. As is the four-part iterative framework for sensing the operating environment, defining impact, organising internally and defining the investment approach. Originality/value This study contributes empirical evidence to scholarship around organisational tensions, especially work in hybrid organisations. It affirms the value of a nuanced application of paradox theory. It examines these tensions through the lived experience of impact investing professionals in an emerging market context.

Social enterprises and organizational learning in South Africa

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 117-133 ◽  
Author(s):  
Boris Urban ◽  
Elena Gaffurini
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Organizational Learning ◽  
Social Innovation ◽  
Emerging Market ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Social Enterprises ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between different dimensions of organizational learning capabilities (OLC) and levels of social innovation in social enterprises. Design/methodology/approach The empirical strategy adopted is a cross-sectional study based on primary survey data. Following a survey of social enterprises in South Africa, statistically analysis is conducted using regression analyses to test the study hypotheses. Findings The findings show that the OLC dimensions of knowledge conversion, risk management, organizational dialogue and participative decision-making all have a significant and positive relationship with social innovation. Research limitations/implications In many emerging economies, the notion of organizational learning appears to have considerable potential relevance, particularly as African countries are moving toward knowledge-based economies. By focusing on OLC, it is anticipated that social enterprises can configure and leverage the different factors in ways that enable them to overcome the constraints of the complex and unpredictable environments and increase their levels of social innovation. Originality/value The paper provides a pioneering empirical investigation into the impact that OLC has on levels of social innovation, in an under-researched emerging market context.

Economic impact of data localization in five selected African countries

2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 337-357
Author(s):  
Mona Farid Badran
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
General Equilibrium ◽  
Computable General Equilibrium ◽  
Research Paper ◽  
Policy Recommendations ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Cross Border ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Eu

Purpose The purpose of this study is to quantify the impact of laws and regulations that govern the cross-border flow of data on the economies of five selected African countries, namely, Egypt, Morocco, South Africa, Kenya and Mauritius. Moreover, this study addresses the state of cloud computing in Africa. Finally, policy recommendations are provided in this respect. Design/methodology/approach To reach accurate finding the Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP) data was used, and then the computable general equilibrium (CGE) was computed to estimate the total cost on the economy. Using the three data regulations linkages indexes (DRLs), the increased administrative cost effect was analyzed on five to six major economic sectors in the target countries. This was followed by estimating the loss in sector-wide total factor productivity (TFP) (for the five to six shortlisted sectors). Using this data, the computable general equilibrium model (CGE) was computed, in order to estimate the economy-wide impact. Based on these findings, a set of recommendations were offered to the policy maker, reflecting the obtained results and conclusions and their implications on drafting data-related policies. Findings The obtained data indexes reveal that Mauritius is the country with the most laws and regulations governing the cross border flow of data, followed by South Africa Egypt to a lesser extent and finally Morocco and Kenya both showing an obvious lack of data regulations. The small value of the estimated elasticity of the selected countries compared to the value of the estimated elasticity in the EU-0.347 shows that the impact of data localization is less in the selected African countries than in the other set of EU countries examined in the research paper. This is because the former has smaller economies with fewer linkages to the global economy and are less reliant on sectors that are heavy users of data. Thus, the overall impact of data localization was not as profound on TFP as is the case in advanced economies. This research paper arrives at the conclusion that fighting the trend of data localization is crucial. In fact, data localization hinders the necessary and essential role of global trade in realizing economic development. Specifically, this is evident in the increase in production costs as reflected in the increase of the prices of goods, which would lead to a decline in incomes. Originality/value Global studies looked at the impact of data localization on the EU, as well as China, India, Korea and Vietnam, providing some data on Asia Pacific. However, no study has ever been conducted on the Middle East and Africa. This study aims to fill this gap. The approach of this study is to capture the extent of data localization mandates encoded in the laws of each of the selected five African countries showing how these mandates govern their cross-border data flow and, in turn, affect their economies. Furthermore, the policy recommendations section of this research paper makes a contribution to the existing literature.

Institutionalizing social impact investing: implications for Islamic finance

2019 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 226-240 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey Kappen ◽  
Matthew Mitchell ◽  
Kavilash Chawla
Keyword(s):  
Social Impact ◽  
Historical Analysis ◽  
Islamic Finance ◽  
Investment Strategies ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Impact Investing ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Finance Industry ◽  
Regulatory Frameworks ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the institutionalization of screening and metrics in conventional finance and reflect upon the implications for Islamic finance.Design/methodology/approachThe study involves the analysis of archival data, interviews and fieldwork with current impact investors in North America and the European Union to trace the historical development of impact investing screening and metrics.FindingsFirst, the paper explores how conventional investors have applied positive and negative screens in the creation of their values/mission-based investment strategies. This is followed by a historical analysis of the development and implementation of impact metrics and regulatory frameworks that influenced the growth of conventional impact investing. The possible benefits of learning from these experiences for the Islamic finance industry are then considered. The paper concludes with an analysis of the potential value of mission/values-based investing for the economic development of the Middle East and North Africa region.Research limitations/implicationsThough not a comprehensive study of institutionalization, this study supports recent calls for more intentional use of capital for blended returns within Islamic markets. To support these initiatives, it provides scholars and practitioners with multiple recommended points of entry into this growing market.Originality/valueThere has been scant organizational research examining the development of best practices within the impact investment community and how these might be applied to other contexts such as Islamic finance.

CareCross health: private healthcare for workers

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
Cynthia Schweer Rayner
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Emerging Market ◽  
Subject Area ◽  
Unintended Consequences ◽  
Due Diligence ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Provision Of Services ◽  
Preliminary Recommendation ◽  
The Impact

Subject area Impact investing, Social entrepreneurship. Study level/applicability MBA, EMBA, Executive Education. Case overview CareCross Health describes the impact due diligence leading up to an investment into CareCross Health by impact investor Palm Capital. The case follows the protagonist, Caitlin Stevens, CEO of Palm Capital, as she identifies CareCross Health as a potential investment target, performs an initial screening of the company and visits the company and its sites as part of an in-depth impact due diligence. Expected learning outcomes By the end of this case, the student should be able to consider the critical steps associated with conducting an impact due diligence; understand the challenges associated with conducting an impact due diligence, with a particular focus on due diligence in an emerging market scenario; analyse a potential impact investment, in this case CareCross Health, and make a preliminary recommendation on whether the investment is viable from an impact perspective; identify the trade-offs between private sector and public sector provision of services to low-income groups, and consider unintended consequences in analysing the impact of a social enterprise; and prepare possible scenarios and weigh the potential outcomes of various arrangements to ensure alignment of investor objectives. Supplementary materials Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email [email protected] to request teaching notes. Subject code CSS 1: Accounting and Finance.

Impact investing will boost global Islamic finance

2015 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Financial Markets ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Islamic Finance ◽  
Financial Assets ◽  
Financial Return ◽  
Impact Investing ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Thomson Reuters ◽  
Social Impact Bonds ◽  
Investment Choices

Subject Impact investing and Islamic finance. Significance The share of Islamic financial assets remains limited, currently accounting for just 1.27% of global financial assets, according to the latest Zawya Thomson Reuters report on the 'State of the Islamic Economy'. However, new opportunities are ahead. Impact investing, defined by its ambition of achieving the dual goals of measurable positive social and environmental impact, and financial return, is a rapidly growing segment of international financial markets. It offers unique opportunities for Islamic investors looking for investment choices that meet the goals of an Islamic value-based investment approach. Impacts Impact investing will create impetus for further product development in the Islamic finance sector. New deals are in the pipeline after record innovation in 2015 in social-impact bonds that are compliant with Islamic financial principles. They will increase the attractiveness of the Islamic finance sector to a whole range of investors.

Measurement woes test Africa's 'impact' investors

2015 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Financial Return ◽  
Impact Investing ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Corporate Growth ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Asset Classes ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Policy Agendas ◽  
The Impact

Subject Impact investment trends in Africa. Significance 'Impact' investments are defined as generating social and environmental impact alongside a financial return. As the development industry landscape shifts, such investments are increasingly targeting sub-Saharan African (SSA) markets, especially in finance, energy and agriculture sectors. As of end-2014, an estimated 50 billion dollars had been invested in the space globally. Although this is a fraction of the 62.3 trillion dollars in private global assets under management across products, the 'impact' sector is expanding across asset classes and gradually moving into the financial mainstream. Impacts Impact investing reflects wider policy and industry recognition of the private sector's role in meeting development goals. Donor austerity keeps this on policy agendas, but developmental bottlenecks are increasingly seen as hurting corporate growth plans too. SSA governments welcome this approach, particularly given financing innovation through public-private partnerships.

scholarly journals Conversations about measurement and evaluation in impact investing

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amreen Choda ◽  
Mishkah Teladia
Keyword(s):  
Social Impact ◽  
Rockefeller Foundation ◽  
Think Tank ◽  
Impact Measurement ◽  
Financial Return ◽  
Impact Investing ◽  
Development Interventions ◽  
African Experience ◽  
Measurement And Evaluation ◽  
The Impact

In response to the enduring social, economic and environmental challenges facing the African continent and its population, development interventions are evolving to embrace new approaches, new partnerships and new means of achieving impact. One such area of heightened innovation and growing activity is impact investing. Impact investing is defined as investments made with the intention of generating both financial return and social or environmental impact. As this momentum in impact investing grows, a complementary area of activity has started to put down roots in Africa – social impact measurement.Genesis Analytics curated and managed the Innovations in Evaluation strand at the recent African Evaluation Association Conference, convened in Uganda in March 2017. This strand was supported by the Rockefeller Foundation and aimed to ignite conversations between impact investment stakeholders and evaluators focused on the African experience with social impact measurement.This article presents themes emerging from the presentations and conversations within the Innovations in Evaluation strand. The article begins with a brief explanation of the rise of impact investing, globally and within Africa, and then goes on to explain the structure of the Innovations in Evaluation strand. This strand included small group discussions and a think tank, which enabled sharing of ideas and experiences between strand participants. The article, therefore, documents the issues emerging during these discussions, including exploration of the concept of impact measurement and how this understanding differs across stakeholders, the currency of impact measurement and emerging practice.The article concludes with presenting what stakeholders and evaluators need to jointly explore to ensure that the African experience is well represented as the impact measurement movement continues to gain momentum globally.

scholarly journals Preserving the Integrity of Social Impact Investing: Towards a Distinctive Implementation Strategy

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 2852
Author(s):  
Irene Bengo ◽  
Alice Borrello ◽  
Veronica Chiodo
Keyword(s):  
Asset Allocation ◽  
Implementation Strategy ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Social Risk ◽  
Cultural Shift ◽  
Financial Return ◽  
Impact Investing ◽  
Top Managers ◽  
Specific Practice ◽  
Definition Of

Social impact investing (SII) is a strategy of asset allocation that aims to generate social and environmental impact alongside a financial return. Compared to other approaches of sustainable finance it holds an enormous potential of generating solutions to societal challenges. However, scholars have claimed that social impact often just employs logic upheld by the mainstream investment approach. Therefore, the paper investigates the assumption that SII has not developed a distinctive implementation strategy able to translate the prioritization of social impact into practice and how to overcome this issue. The thematic analysis of data collected through 105 interviews with Italian SII financiers and the top managers of social ventures allowed us to identify three features of an SII tailored practice: promoting a cultural shift of intermediaries, adopting a coopetition approach, and integrating the social impact in the terms of the financial transaction. Lastly, the paper drafts a research agenda to enhance the proper theorization of SII focusing on the definition of social risk, social return, and governance mechanisms. The key contribution of this article is confirming the lack of an SII-specific practice able to endogenize the intent of prioritizing social impact and providing suggestions to prevent the risk of impact washing.

Earnings management and ownership structure in emerging market

2017 ◽  
Vol 43 (10) ◽  
pp. 1117-1136 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naima Lassoued ◽  
Mouna Ben Rejeb Attia ◽  
Houda Sassi
Keyword(s):  
Emerging Markets ◽  
Earnings Management ◽  
Ownership Structure ◽  
Audit Quality ◽  
Emerging Market ◽  
Middle Eastern ◽  
Convincing Evidence ◽  
Loan Loss ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Content Type

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether ownership structure affects earnings management in the banking industry of emerging markets. Design/methodology/approach The empirical study is conducted using a sample of 134 banks from 12 Middle Eastern and North African countries. Econometrically speaking, the study used a panel data regression analysis. Findings The authors found convincing evidence that banks with more concentrated ownership use discretionary loan loss provisions to manage their earnings. The authors also found that state and institutional owners encourage earnings management, while family owners reduce this practice. Practical implications The findings would be valuable for investors since they should take into account ownership structure in order to reach a better investment decision. Moreover, regulatory reforms in emerging markets should push for more transparency about ownership structure, high levels of supervision, and external audit quality. Originality/value This study presents international evidence on the prominent role of owners in earnings management in emerging markets with weak shareholder rights protection.

scholarly journals The impact of young people's participation in events

2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 198-218 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eliza Hixson
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Identity Development ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Transitional Period ◽  
School Students ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Social ◽  
Sense Of Involvement ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – This paper aims to explore the social impact that two events, the Adelaide Fringe Festival and the Clipsal 500, have on young residents (16-19 years old) of Adelaide. The purpose of this paper is to examine how young people participate in these events and how this affects their sense of involvement in the event and contributes to their identity development. Design/methodology/approach – A mixed methods approach was adopted in which focus groups and questionnaires were conducted with secondary school students. As an exploratory study, focus groups (n=24) were conducted in the first stage of the research. The results of the focus groups were used to develop a questionnaire that resulted in 226 useable responses. The final stage of the research explored one event in further depth in order to determine the influence of different participation levels. Findings – This study found that young people demonstrated more involvement in the Adelaide Fringe Festival and their identities were more influenced by this event. Further investigation of the Adelaide Fringe Festival also indicated that level of participation affects the social outcomes gained, with those participating to a greater degree achieving higher involvement and increased identity awareness. This is demonstrated through a model which aims to illustrate how an event impact an individual based on their role during the event. Originality/value – This paper applies two leisure concepts in order to analyse the impact of events. Activity involvement is a concept which examines the importance of the activity in the participant's life. Also of importance to young people is how activities contribute to their identities, especially because they are in a transitional period of their lives.

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