NAIROBI, 26 January. - (ANA) - Africa’s private capital industry outperforms global peers in gender representation, but larger companies are lagging in efforts to boost female leadership, a new report argued. 

 

At firms where most of the partners are women, 48% of the companies they invest in are led by women, compared to just 8% at male-dominated ones, according to The African Private Capital Association.

 

And only 7% of companies backed by private capital in the continent are founded by women. 

 

The research showed that smaller investment firms are typically more inclusive than larger ones, where women are significantly underrepresented in portfolio company leadership. 

 

The report suggested that narrowing the gender gap in top roles could boost financial performance: On average, female-led companies saw a 32% increase in revenue from 2023 to 2024, while male-led teams saw 14% revenue growth during the same period.

 

 

 

 

Over the last three decades, the inclusion of gender in global development frameworks has catalysed a structural shift in how women engage with the formal economy. Once confined to the periphery of economic decision-making, women’s participation in the labour market has steadily increased, supported by the widespread recognition of their role as key agents in driving growth, stability,

and innovation. Global development agendas, private sector reforms, and investment frameworks have together pushed for more equitable participation, both within organisations and across the capital flows that shape them.

 

In private capital, this shift has laid the foundation for the rise of gender lens investing (GLI): an approach that integrates gender considerations into financial decision-making to drive both impact and performance.   - (ANA) -

 

To download the full report, visit: https://www.avca.africa/media/lewnpelq/avca25-06-gender-diversity-in-african-pc_final.pdf?utm_source=semafor

 

 

AB/ANA/26 January 2026 - - -