The Southern African Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (SAVCA) has appointed Anusha Naidu as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective 1 March 2026.
Naidu brings over 20 years of high-impact experience in corporate finance, private capital markets, M&A advisory, ESG implementation, and financial services. She joins from her role as Corporate Finance and ESG Executive at Select Africa, African Alliance, where she sat on the group executive committee. There, she drove capital raising, investor engagement, and strategic growth across African markets.
For nearly a decade, Naidu structured and secured debt and equity funding, forged strong ties with global and domestic institutional investors, development finance institutions, sovereign funds, and private capital providers. Her focus spanned innovative financing in key sectors like housing, real estate, and microfinance.
A Chartered Accountant (SA) with international exposure, her career includes senior roles at PwC across London, Dubai, Cape Town, and Johannesburg. She advised global banks, private equity firms, and institutional investors on complex cross-border transactions in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and the Americas.
SAVCA highlights Naidu’s blend of strategic vision, technical expertise, global outlook, and deep African market insight as ideal for steering the organisation forward.
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Vuyo Ntoi, SAVCA Board Chairperson, commented: “Anusha’s leadership arrives at a pivotal moment of opportunity for the private capital industry. Her extensive investor relationships, expertise in capital formation, governance, and ESG will strengthen SAVCA’s position as an industry shaper and catalyst for sustainable growth.”
Naidu succeeds Tshepiso Kobile, who stepped down in May 2025. Under Kobile’s tenure, SAVCA amplified its influence in regulatory and policy arenas, notably contributing to the Conduct of Financial Institutions Bill, Competition Commission engagements, and DTIC discussions on public interest in mergers—ensuring private capital’s voice in critical frameworks.
Following Kobile’s exit, board member Nicola Gubb served as interim executive director. She will resume her non-executive board role after a smooth handover.
This appointment signals fresh momentum for SAVCA in championing venture capital and private equity as engines of economic transformation across Southern Africa.
