In March, Zimbabwean private equity firm Takura Capital Partners acquired a majority stake in distressed agro-business Interfresh Limited, shortly after snapping up a 16% stake in diversified construction firm Radar Holdings.A beneficiary of funding from the UK’s development investor CDC Group, Takura Capital was established in 1997 to target growing and struggling companies. Since then the investor has spread its wings throughout the Southern African Development Community.Over the years, the fund has grown and revived companies including bread-maker Lobels, which nearly closed in 2011 due to financial difficulties, and Cairns Holdings, a formerly listed agro-manufacturer that went insolvent in 2012.In 2015, Takura Capital invested in the country’s largest beef producer Montana Meats, and Talwant Trading, the franchisee for Fruit and Veg City Africa International.Now, amid the regional economic havoc wrought by the Covid-19 pandemic, the firm and others like it see a renewed opportunity to snap up companies which it believes have a promising future despite current headwinds.

Source: Further Africa