Musa Capital: Building African wealth through investment
Musa Capital was founded by joint partners, one of whom is an African American from Mississippi who grew up when circumstances were tough for people in the Southern States. He says he got his entrepreneurial drive from his father, while his “never say die” attitude came from watching his grandmother push to achieve what she really wanted.
Establishing Musa Capital, co-founder William Jimerson experienced an uphill climb, but managed to see his goal become a reality when the company vision could be realised. By providing catalytic investment opportunities, they could meet the needs of communities as well as investors, and assist in providing sustainable development opportunities for African countries.
The company asserts the use of “investment banking tools” to kick-start the process of wealth creation in the very unlikely place of unpopular Africa. Their goal is to give investors the confidence of a return while making the investment about the people it affects, rather than just the wealth creation on its own. Musa links the people with the money to the people who are desperate for opportunities, while ensuring that the resulting wealth creation is a win-win: it many ways it is “right price meets right buyer”.
Whether a small to medium start-up requires commercial property to rent and manufacturing equipment; whether mining operations require funding; or community homes, hospitals, and schools need to be built; whether feeding schemes require assistance, or entrepreneurs require mentoring – Musa Capital has the right network of people to match up the need with the investor in order to create the opportunity. Skills are developed, entrepreneurs are motivated to succeed, and the correct financial mechanisms are put in place to ensure that no one loses out within their locus of control.
The hands-on, mentoring approach to this sustainable development includes the fact Musa provides for the people they support so that their energy can be focused on reaching their goals, rather than worrying where their next meal is coming from. With each new investment, they follow specific guidelines that help them make the right decisions regarding the socio-economic wellbeing of the communities in which they plan to make a difference.
To ensure that entrepreneurial opportunities can be given to anyone who desires it (and from a young age), four learners per year are given the opportunity to intern at Musa Capital, learn about financial analysis, carry out research projects and learn about the business. The intensive 10-13 week internship culminates with the students each having to submit a paper on their experience. There is no doubt that Musa Capital is helping to create the financial minds of the future.
