We see the huge potential for growth and job creation that SMEs represent

Qualifications:
B.Comm, UNISA; FCMA; CGMA,
Andrew is a senior finance and investment professional with over 20 years’ experience in corporate restructures and turnarounds. He is a member of the Turnaround Management Association.

For nine years, Andrew worked for a US$100m US VC Fund in the finance and investment teams that was mandated to invest in 11 SADC countries. From there, Andrew was employed by a South African Dfi in various roles in the post-investment and portfolio management units. Andrew was also responsible for creating their Restructures unit.

Prior to this, Andrew’s work with the South African Enterprise Development Fund (SAEDF) and National Empowerment Fund (NEF) has given him extensive experience in credit, governance, strategy, valuations, audits, risk, BEE, IT systems, organisational processes, departmental and company strategy, legal compliance and litigation.

Qualifications:
B. Com Honours (Economics) and MBA, University of Cape Town

Fatima is an Investment Analyst on the Vumela Fund where she focuses on instilling good governance at portfolio companies, assisting with the creation of strong boards and supporting firms to achieve their targets. Her role includes the post-investment monitoring of high job creation deals.

Before joining the Vumela team, Fatima worked as a project manager in Edge Growth’s Cape Town office looking after internal and external projects for the firm. Prior to joining Edge Growth, Fatima was a senior project manager and manufacturing analyst with five years of experience in clothing and automotive industries. She is motivated by efficiency improvements and helping SMEs grow to their full earning and job creating potential.

Qualifications:
Diploma in Technology and Innovation, the Da Vinci Institute

Heather started and manages Enterprise Development for FirstRand, and, together with Edge Growth, established the Vumela Enterprise Development Fund. She works with Edge to manage Vumela on the deployment and post investment sides of the business, as well as playing a critical stakeholder management role.

Heather has been in the banking industry for 20 years, working in retail and commercial banking, product development, fund management and enterprise and supplier development. She has extensive knowledge of the SME ecosystem and experience in debt financing, traditional bank financing products, sales and governance in the deal-making process.

Heather was selected as one of 30 women from all of South Africa’s banking groups to participate in the first Bankseta Womens’ Development Programme. She is the media spokesperson on SME development, job creation and ESD for FNB, and is responsible for FirstRand’s Enterprise and Supplier Development strategy development and implementation.

Qualifications:
CA (SA)

Sam is a Principal on the VumelaFund, with a focus on the sourcing and post-investment management of high job-creating transactions.

After completing his articles at EY in Cape Town, specialising in the retail and asset management sectors, Sam worked in New York for Makosi Inc. as a financial services consultant on multinational broker-dealer and private equity funds.

Sam is passionate about contributing to the development of a platform for socio-economic change within South Africa through the creation of jobs, by supporting and investing in local entrepreneurs.

Qualifications:
First Class Honours in Aerospace Engineering, University of Southampton
MSc in Finance, University of Amsterdam

Shrivar Mohan is the Chief Investment Officer at Edge Growth Ventures, a leading South African SME development specialist and impact investor. Over the past eight years, Shrivar has played a pivotal role in the investment team, overseeing, and leading early-stage impact investments across various sectors and instrument classes.
His contribution towards empowering underrepresented founders in South Africa has been invaluable. At present, he leads the investment strategy and team of the ASISA ESD Fund and will now assume this responsibility across the entire Ventures business.
Shrivar has also been the driving force behind numerous strategic initiatives at Edge Growth Ventures. Currently, he is leading the Africa expansion strategy of the firm and is actively raising capital for EGV's new Impact Venture Fund, which will support local, diverse founding teams primarily in South Africa, Kenya, and Egypt, that are leveraging technology to solve large-scale problems in Africa.
Shrivar is a passionate mentor, both inside and outside the workplace, and is a fervent advocate of building bridges between Africa’s startup ecosystems. His leadership, investment expertise, and commitment to uplifting underrepresented founders make him a highly valuable asset to Edge Growth Ventures and the African entrepreneurial and investment community at large.
Shrivar graduated with First Class Honours in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Southampton and holds an MSc in Finance from the Duisenberg School of Finance (University of Amsterdam).

Qualifications:
CA (SA), Masters in Finance

Mike has 19 years of banking experience across a wide range of relationship and product disciplines.

Mike joined FNB in 2016 from Investec where he held the position of Head of Africa Coverage. Mike previously worked at FirstRand for 13 years focusing on Leveraged Finance and Debt Capital Markets in Africa and South Africa

Qualifications:
Honours Degree in B.Bus Sci (Finance)
Higher Diploma in Taxation

Janice Johnston is a highly experienced executive with a remarkable track record in the financial industry. Having previously served at Edge Growth between 2014 and 2019, Janice brings a wealth of expertise and a deep understanding to her new role as Chief Executive of Ventures.

With over 24 years of experience in renowned financial institutions both in South Africa and London, Janice has established herself as a leader in the field. Her extensive knowledge spans debt, venture capital, and private equity investments, making her a valuable asset to the organisation.

Janice holds an Honours Degree in B.Bus Sci (Finance) and a Higher Diploma in Taxation, complemented by her distinguished CFA designation. These qualifications reflect her dedication to continuous learning and professional development.

Throughout her career, Janice has achieved numerous significant milestones, demonstrating her ability to drive meaningful change and innovation. Noteworthy highlights include her instrumental involvement in the launch of South Africa's first Just Energy Transition Investment Plan at COP 27, where she played a direct role in negotiating and drafting the financing sections of the plan and served as the Chairperson of 100 Women in Finance in South Africa, being the first African country to be launched in June 2022.

Janice's career journey includes significant roles in renowned companies such as Identity Fund Managers, ABSA Capital, Prudential Capital plc, Apax Partners, Deutsche Bank Securities, and Standard Bank of South Africa. Her diverse background has equipped her with a comprehensive understanding of different financial sectors and strategies.

As Chief Executive of Ventures, Janice brings her expertise, strategic vision, and deep industry knowledge to drive Ventures forward. Her commitment to impact investing, sustainability, and innovation positions her as a valuable leader who will guide the organisation to new heights.

Please join us in warmly welcoming Janice Johnston as our esteemed Chief Executive of Ventures. Together, let's embrace a future of growth and success under her leadership.

Qualifications:
CA(SA)

Sharlen is an accomplished and integrity-driven Chartered Accountant with a passion for entrepreneurship, innovation and technology. Based in Cape Town, after completing his articles at Deloitte & Touche, Sharlen joined Standard Bank where he served for many years. During this time Sharlen acted as a Senior Financial Manager for the Bank’s Strategic Investments division, being the Private Equity and Venture Capital arm of the bank as well served in deal making roles within Corporate Investment Banking.

Most recently Sharlen served at Woolworths’ Financial Services where he managed the finance function for investments into Strategic Initiatives and Digital Assets. Sharlen is passionate about the ability for effective financial management to support the growth of early-stage business for socio-economic impact to leave a positive legacy.

Qualifications:
LLB (Hons), University of Kwa-Zulu Natal
PGDip in Compliance Management, University of Johannesburg

Tracey is the Chief Compliance & Risk Officer and an Executive Director at Edge Growth Ventures, a leading South African SME development specialist, impact investor and a registered Financial Services Provider with the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (The “FSCA”). Over the past four and a half years, Tracey’s primary role has been to oversee the Compliance function within Edge Growth Ventures (The “FSP”/Fund Manager), by ensuring compliance with laws, regulatory requirements, policies, and procedures, she is also tasked with assessing and mitigating significant competitive, regulatory and technological threats to the Fund Manager and leads efforts within the business to reduce and manage business risks that could put the Fund Manager’s profitability and productivity at risk.
Tracey has been instrumental in the setting up of new funds for the Fund Manager and has run numerous due diligence processes and continues to support the business in a cross-functional way. She has built strong relationships with the rest of the business to understand the motivations of the business, which equips the Compliance Function to build effective Compliance programmes and deliver training courses that empower the business to understand their regulatory landscape. She is also passionate about driving a culture of Compliance within the business and strongly believes that, “It takes less time to do things right than to explain why you did it wrong”.
Tracey holds a LLB (Hons) from the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal (Durban-Westville), a PGDip in Compliance Management (University of Johannesburg) and is an Admitted Attorney of the High Court of South Africa with 14 years post qualification experience, during this time she has built a strong career in Compliance and Risk Management.

Qualifications:
CFA Charterholder & MBA

Micah is the Chief Portfolio Management Officer at Edge Growth Ventures (EGV). He leads the Portfolio Management Team across the different funds at EGV.
He has over 15 years of experience across Africa in venture capital, asset management, private equity, and as an entrepreneur running his own venture-backed technology company in East and Southern Africa. Prior to getting into investing, he was a trained carpenter and co-founded a small manufacturing business.
Micah is passionate about supporting founders and start-ups that are building innovative companies in South Africa.

Qualifications:
B.Comm, UNISA; FCMA; CGMA,
Andrew is a senior finance and investment professional with over 20 years’ experience in corporate restructures and turnarounds. He is a member of the Turnaround Management Association.

For nine years, Andrew worked for a US$100m US VC Fund in the finance and investment teams that was mandated to invest in 11 SADC countries. From there, Andrew was employed by a South African Dfi in various roles in the post-investment and portfolio management units. Andrew was also responsible for creating their Restructures unit.

Prior to this, Andrew’s work with the South African Enterprise Development Fund (SAEDF) and National Empowerment Fund (NEF) has given him extensive experience in credit, governance, strategy, valuations, audits, risk, BEE, IT systems, organisational processes, departmental and company strategy, legal compliance and litigation.

Qualifications:
Diploma in Technology and Innovation, the Da Vinci Institute

Heather started and manages Enterprise Development for FirstRand, and, together with Edge Growth, established the Vumela Enterprise Development Fund. She works with Edge to manage Vumela on the deployment and post investment sides of the business, as well as playing a critical stakeholder management role.

Heather has been in the banking industry for 20 years, working in retail and commercial banking, product development, fund management and enterprise and supplier development. She has extensive knowledge of the SME ecosystem and experience in debt financing, traditional bank financing products, sales and governance in the deal-making process.

Heather was selected as one of 30 women from all of South Africa’s banking groups to participate in the first Bankseta Womens’ Development Programme. She is the media spokesperson on SME development, job creation and ESD for FNB, and is responsible for FirstRand’s Enterprise and Supplier Development strategy development and implementation.

Qualifications:
Honours Degree in B.Bus Sci (Finance)
Higher Diploma in Taxation

Janice Johnston is a highly experienced executive with a remarkable track record in the financial industry. Having previously served at Edge Growth between 2014 and 2019, Janice brings a wealth of expertise and a deep understanding to her new role as Chief Executive of Ventures.

With over 24 years of experience in renowned financial institutions both in South Africa and London, Janice has established herself as a leader in the field. Her extensive knowledge spans debt, venture capital, and private equity investments, making her a valuable asset to the organisation.

Janice holds an Honours Degree in B.Bus Sci (Finance) and a Higher Diploma in Taxation, complemented by her distinguished CFA designation. These qualifications reflect her dedication to continuous learning and professional development.

Throughout her career, Janice has achieved numerous significant milestones, demonstrating her ability to drive meaningful change and innovation. Noteworthy highlights include her instrumental involvement in the launch of South Africa's first Just Energy Transition Investment Plan at COP 27, where she played a direct role in negotiating and drafting the financing sections of the plan and served as the Chairperson of 100 Women in Finance in South Africa, being the first African country to be launched in June 2022.

Janice's career journey includes significant roles in renowned companies such as Identity Fund Managers, ABSA Capital, Prudential Capital plc, Apax Partners, Deutsche Bank Securities, and Standard Bank of South Africa. Her diverse background has equipped her with a comprehensive understanding of different financial sectors and strategies.

As Chief Executive of Ventures, Janice brings her expertise, strategic vision, and deep industry knowledge to drive Ventures forward. Her commitment to impact investing, sustainability, and innovation positions her as a valuable leader who will guide the organisation to new heights.

Please join us in warmly welcoming Janice Johnston as our esteemed Chief Executive of Ventures. Together, let's embrace a future of growth and success under her leadership.

Qualifications:
CA (SA), Masters in Finance

Mike has 19 years of banking experience across a wide range of relationship and product disciplines.

Mike joined FNB in 2016 from Investec where he held the position of Head of Africa Coverage. Mike previously worked at FirstRand for 13 years focusing on Leveraged Finance and Debt Capital Markets in Africa and South Africa.

Qualifications:
CFA Charterholder & MBA

Micah is the Chief Portfolio Management Officer at Edge Growth Ventures (EGV). He leads the Portfolio Management Team across the different funds at EGV.
He has over 15 years of experience across Africa in venture capital, asset management, private equity, and as an entrepreneur running his own venture-backed technology company in East and Southern Africa. Prior to getting into investing, he was a trained carpenter and co-founded a small manufacturing business.
Micah is passionate about supporting founders and start-ups that are building innovative companies in South Africa.

Qualifications:
First Class Honours in Aerospace Engineering, University of Southampton
MSc in Finance, University of Amsterdam

Shrivar Mohan is the Chief Investment Officer at Edge Growth Ventures, a leading South African SME development specialist and impact investor. Over the past eight years, Shrivar has played a pivotal role in the investment team, overseeing, and leading early-stage impact investments across various sectors and instrument classes.
His contribution towards empowering underrepresented founders in South Africa has been invaluable. At present, he leads the investment strategy and team of the ASISA ESD Fund and will now assume this responsibility across the entire Ventures business.
Shrivar has also been the driving force behind numerous strategic initiatives at Edge Growth Ventures. Currently, he is leading the Africa expansion strategy of the firm and is actively raising capital for EGV's new Impact Venture Fund, which will support local, diverse founding teams primarily in South Africa, Kenya, and Egypt, that are leveraging technology to solve large-scale problems in Africa.
Shrivar is a passionate mentor, both inside and outside the workplace, and is a fervent advocate of building bridges between Africa’s startup ecosystems. His leadership, investment expertise, and commitment to uplifting underrepresented founders make him a highly valuable asset to Edge Growth Ventures and the African entrepreneurial and investment community at large.
Shrivar graduated with First Class Honours in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Southampton and holds an MSc in Finance from the Duisenberg School of Finance (University of Amsterdam).

Qualifications:
CA (SA)

Sam is a Principal on the VumelaFund, with a focus on the sourcing and post-investment management of high job-creating transactions.

After completing his articles at EY in Cape Town, specialising in the retail and asset management sectors, Sam worked in New York for Makosi Inc. as a financial services consultant on multinational broker-dealer and private equity funds.

Sam is passionate about contributing to the development of a platform for socio-economic change within South Africa through the creation of jobs, by supporting and investing in local entrepreneurs.

Qualifications:
B.Comm, UNISA; FCMA; CGMA,
Andrew is a senior finance and investment professional with over 20 years’ experience in corporate restructures and turnarounds. He is a member of the Turnaround Management Association.

For nine years, Andrew worked for a US$100m US VC Fund in the finance and investment teams that was mandated to invest in 11 SADC countries. From there, Andrew was employed by a South African Dfi in various roles in the post-investment and portfolio management units. Andrew was also responsible for creating their Restructures unit.

Prior to this, Andrew’s work with the South African Enterprise Development Fund (SAEDF) and National Empowerment Fund (NEF) has given him extensive experience in credit, governance, strategy, valuations, audits, risk, BEE, IT systems, organisational processes, departmental and company strategy, legal compliance and litigation.

Qualifications:
B. Com Honours (Economics) and MBA, University of Cape Town

Fatima is an Investment Analyst on the Vumela Fund where she focuses on instilling good governance at portfolio companies, assisting with the creation of strong boards and supporting firms to achieve their targets. Her role includes the post-investment monitoring of high job creation deals.

Before joining the Vumela team, Fatima worked as a project manager in Edge Growth’s Cape Town office looking after internal and external projects for the firm. Prior to joining Edge Growth, Fatima was a senior project manager and manufacturing analyst with five years of experience in clothing and automotive industries. She is motivated by efficiency improvements and helping SMEs grow to their full earning and job creating potential.

Qualifications:
CFA Charterholder & MBA

Micah is the Chief Portfolio Management Officer at Edge Growth Ventures (EGV). He leads the Portfolio Management Team across the different funds at EGV.
He has over 15 years of experience across Africa in venture capital, asset management, private equity, and as an entrepreneur running his own venture-backed technology company in East and Southern Africa. Prior to getting into investing, he was a trained carpenter and co-founded a small manufacturing business.
Micah is passionate about supporting founders and start-ups that are building innovative companies in South Africa.

Qualifications:
LLB (Hons), University of Kwa-Zulu Natal
PGDip in Compliance Management, University of Johannesburg

Tracey is the Head of Compliance and an Executive Director at Edge Growth Ventures, a leading South African SME development specialist, impact investor and a registered Financial Services Provider with the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (The “FSCA”). Over the past four and a half years, Tracey’s primary role has been to oversee the Compliance function within Edge Growth Ventures (The “FSP”/Fund Manager), by ensuring compliance with laws, regulatory requirements, policies, and procedures, she is also tasked with assessing and mitigating significant competitive, regulatory and technological threats to the Fund Manager and leads efforts within the business to reduce and manage business risks that could put the Fund Manager’s profitability and productivity at risk.
Tracey has been instrumental in the setting up of new funds for the Fund Manager and has run numerous due diligence processes and continues to support the business in a cross-functional way. She has built strong relationships with the rest of the business to understand the motivations of the business, which equips the Compliance Function to build effective Compliance programmes and deliver training courses that empower the business to understand their regulatory landscape. She is also passionate about driving a culture of Compliance within the business and strongly believes that, “It takes less time to do things right than to explain why you did it wrong”.
Tracey holds a LLB (Hons) from the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal (Durban-Westville), a PGDip in Compliance Management (University of Johannesburg) and is an Admitted Attorney of the High Court of South Africa with 14 years post qualification experience, during this time she has built a strong career in Compliance and Risk Management.

Qualifications:
CA(SA)

Sharlen is an accomplished and integrity-driven Chartered Accountant with a passion for entrepreneurship, innovation and technology. Based in Cape Town, after completing his articles at Deloitte & Touche, Sharlen joined Standard Bank where he served for many years. During this time Sharlen acted as a Senior Financial Manager for the Bank’s Strategic Investments division, being the Private Equity and Venture Capital arm of the bank as well served in deal making roles within Corporate Investment Banking.

Most recently Sharlen served at Woolworths’ Financial Services where he managed the finance function for investments into Strategic Initiatives and Digital Assets. Sharlen is passionate about the ability for effective financial management to support the growth of early-stage business for socio-economic impact to leave a positive legacy.

Qualifications:
B.Comm, UNISA; FCMA; CGMA,
Andrew is a senior finance and investment professional with over 20 years’ experience in corporate restructures and turnarounds. He is a member of the Turnaround Management Association.

For nine years, Andrew worked for a US$100m US VC Fund in the finance and investment teams that was mandated to invest in 11 SADC countries. From there, Andrew was employed by a South African Dfi in various roles in the post-investment and portfolio management units. Andrew was also responsible for creating their Restructures unit.

Prior to this, Andrew’s work with the South African Enterprise Development Fund (SAEDF) and National Empowerment Fund (NEF) has given him extensive experience in credit, governance, strategy, valuations, audits, risk, BEE, IT systems, organisational processes, departmental and company strategy, legal compliance and litigation.

Qualifications:
Diploma in Technology and Innovation, the Da Vinci Institute

Heather started and manages Enterprise Development for FirstRand, and, together with Edge Growth, established the Vumela Enterprise Development Fund. She works with Edge to manage Vumela on the deployment and post investment sides of the business, as well as playing a critical stakeholder management role.

Heather has been in the banking industry for 20 years, working in retail and commercial banking, product development, fund management and enterprise and supplier development. She has extensive knowledge of the SME ecosystem and experience in debt financing, traditional bank financing products, sales and governance in the deal-making process.

Heather was selected as one of 30 women from all of South Africa’s banking groups to participate in the first Bankseta Womens’ Development Programme. She is the media spokesperson on SME development, job creation and ESD for FNB, and is responsible for FirstRand’s Enterprise and Supplier Development strategy development and implementation.

Qualifications:
Honours Degree in B.Bus Sci (Finance)
Higher Diploma in Taxation

Janice Johnston is a highly experienced executive with a remarkable track record in the financial industry. Having previously served at Edge Growth between 2014 and 2019, Janice brings a wealth of expertise and a deep understanding to her new role as Chief Executive of Ventures.

With over 24 years of experience in renowned financial institutions both in South Africa and London, Janice has established herself as a leader in the field. Her extensive knowledge spans debt, venture capital, and private equity investments, making her a valuable asset to the organisation.

Janice holds an Honours Degree in B.Bus Sci (Finance) and a Higher Diploma in Taxation, complemented by her distinguished CFA designation. These qualifications reflect her dedication to continuous learning and professional development.

Throughout her career, Janice has achieved numerous significant milestones, demonstrating her ability to drive meaningful change and innovation. Noteworthy highlights include her instrumental involvement in the launch of South Africa's first Just Energy Transition Investment Plan at COP 27, where she played a direct role in negotiating and drafting the financing sections of the plan and served as the Chairperson of 100 Women in Finance in South Africa, being the first African country to be launched in June 2022.

Janice's career journey includes significant roles in renowned companies such as Identity Fund Managers, ABSA Capital, Prudential Capital plc, Apax Partners, Deutsche Bank Securities, and Standard Bank of South Africa. Her diverse background has equipped her with a comprehensive understanding of different financial sectors and strategies.

As Chief Executive of Ventures, Janice brings her expertise, strategic vision, and deep industry knowledge to drive Ventures forward. Her commitment to impact investing, sustainability, and innovation positions her as a valuable leader who will guide the organisation to new heights.

Please join us in warmly welcoming Janice Johnston as our esteemed Chief Executive of Ventures. Together, let's embrace a future of growth and success under her leadership.

Qualifications: CA (SA), Masters in Finance

Mike has 19 years of banking experience across a wide range of relationship and product disciplines.

Mike joined FNB in 2016 from Investec where he held the position of Head of Africa Coverage. Mike previously worked at FirstRand for 13 years focusing on Leveraged Finance and Debt Capital Markets in Africa and South Africa

Qualifications:
CFA Charterholder & MBA

Micah is the Chief Portfolio Management Officer at Edge Growth Ventures (EGV). He leads the Portfolio Management Team across the different funds at EGV.
He has over 15 years of experience across Africa in venture capital, asset management, private equity, and as an entrepreneur running his own venture-backed technology company in East and Southern Africa. Prior to getting into investing, he was a trained carpenter and co-founded a small manufacturing business.
Micah is passionate about supporting founders and start-ups that are building innovative companies in South Africa.