Think of investing in Africa and what comes to mind? Based on the news reports, mining companies and oil explorers, perhaps; maybe political risk, cocoa and coffee.

Think again: Turns out the largest holdings in the Mackenzie Universal Africa & Middle East Class fund are banks and financial services companies based in Nigeria and Botswana: Access Bank, Zenith Bank, First City Monument and Letshego Holdings. The fund also holds Nigeria’s Benue Cement and South African household goods maker and retailer Steinhoff International Holdings. And then, there is Egypt…

What else don’t you know about investing in Africa? Is your portfolio missing out on an opportunity for diversification and growth? (The Mackenzie fund was up 30 per cent on the year, as of March 31.) Which sectors offer the most potential? And why not mining and resources?

Join us for an online discussion with Roelof Horne, who runs the Mackenzie fund, at noon (ET) on Monday, May 10th, part of the Globe and Mail’s special edition on Africa. You can send in your questions in advance. Please join us at noon by clicking on the live blog box below.

Please note that Mr Horne is happy to talk about sectors, investing themes, political risk, and his fund’s holdings, but he cannot discuss other stocks in great detail.

Leave a Reply