Mamadou Toure

Mamadou Toure, Founder Africa 2.0 And Ubuntu Group about the challenges facing Africa, digital transformation and how it can help changing structure of communities with Ubuntu. Mamadou Toure was born and raised in Cameroon. His school had over 100 students per class. From that humble background he became one of the world leaders changing Africa and pushing a genuine focus on the very African concept of Ubuntu: “I am because we are.” Mamadou has been working with the World Bank and his experience reinforced the importance of co-creation balance with technology and leadership.

Inspired by the wisdom of his ancestors, Mamadou Kwidjim Toure believes that co-creating a better world is possible when diversity is nurtured and access to opportunities is evenly distributed. This philosophy was the driving force behind establishing Africa 2.0, a non-for-profit pan African civil society organization with the aim to create a sustainable vision for the transformation of Africa. 

Named one of the top 10 Most Influential Men in Africa by Forbes Magazine in 2014, Mamadou founded the Ubuntu Group in 2015 and built on his global network and investment savviness to launch socio-economic projects throughout the continent of Africa. 

His recent venture, Ubuntu Tribe, a platform promoting shared economy through digitization of gold and other mineral ressources as a means for financial inclusion and wealth redistribution received in 2019 a distinction as finalist at the African Bankers Awards. In 2020, he was listed among the top 30 most influential in the world in blockchain technology. 

Over the past 20 years, Mamadou worked in institutions such as KPMG, BNP Paribas Investment Banking, IFC (World Bank Group) and finally General Electric as Managing Director in charge of Investments and Project Finance for Subsaharan Africa. He has worked on infrastructure, mining, and agriculture technology projects exceeding a combined value of US$ 30 billion, thus creating opportunities and hope for many people in Africa. 

He has been at the forefront of international high finance and remains a strong proponent for the digital economy as an engine for emancipation and shared wealth creation. Mamadou is a global citizen, passionate of culture, art and avid reader of history books, he continues to advocate for a bright future for humanity through pushing the boundaries. He believes in the power of collective action to build lasting enlightenment and prosperity. Mamadou holds MSc in Finance and completed education programs at Harvard Kennedy School on « Public-Private Partnership » in 2010, and « Global Leadership and Public Policy for 21st Century » as World Economic Forum Young Global Leader in 2018.

His vision can be found in a recent interview conducted by Dinis Guarda. 

In that interview, he said the following about Ubuntu Capital Tribe, and Optimisation of Social and Financial returns. 

Ubuntu Capital Tribe 

“Ubuntu Capital Group strives to provide an expansive range of banking services to a multitude of diverse corporations, financial institutions, investment funds and governmental projects. The range of services include: strategic advisory assignments that operate with respect to mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, capital-raising, corporate defence activities, restructuring, spin offs, risk management debt and equity. Our level or expertise also includes local and cross-border transactions as well as derivative transactions that directly relate to the fore mentioned activities. Ubuntu Capital’s Leadership Team has amassed a solid track record as a trusted leader, advisor and financier to the company’s various clients. The clients range from financial institutions, financial sponsors, government, public authorities, board directors and special committees. Ubuntu Capital constantly strives to provide the best-in-class advice and patterns on execution excellence for most complex and ornate transactions across products in order to help clients grow. Ubuntu Capital remains committed to the strategy of co-investing with clients and is focused on maintaining its status as a significant financier and provider of capital raising services. This in turn enables our clients to achieve their strategic goals. Africa is currently in a complex environment that has a myriad number of emerging markets. It has become apparent that investment is no longer a sustainable and viable solution if it is not combined with tailor-made risk mitigation tools that are associated with adequate partners and synergies to help optimize returns while limiting downsize for investors and stakeholders. With 20 years of experience in Africa, closing deals in 26 countries. Ubuntu Capitals’s team has used its experience to propose Financial Engineering Solutions that are adapted to the clients, partners and investors needs to ensure a win-win scenario to secure sustainable and substantial returns for shareholders and stakeholders. Ubuntu Capital also provides advisory services and co-investment opportunities to create synergies between local and international partners. These synergies are based on value added reviews of financial capabilities, local industry expertise, culture alignment and market reputation. With 20 years in investment and consortium engineering in Africa, we have worked with corporates and investors from around the world. The aim is to pivot this knowledge of local and global landscapes in our dealings as our experience in the field has taught us invaluable lessons and skills.” 

Optimisation of Social and Financial returns 

“Statistics indicate the initiatives of high financial returns in emerging markets particularly Africa are mostly likely prone to consider a social return. Ubuntu Capital is working with a number of leading global and regional firms jointly as a project investment advisor and co-investor in the Project Ecosystem. By designing tailor-made blended finance solutions which combine commercial financing, development funding, impact investing, philanthropy funding and corporate CSR, Ubuntu Capital has been able to vastly enhance project ecosystems. Ubuntu has modelled a unique set of skills and expertise that go beyond building sustainable investment projects but actually helps clients build sustainable ecosystems around the company and its projects. Ubuntu Capital has combined a mix of advisory and co-investment strategies around new approaches and concepts that promote equitable investment".

Equitable Investment

"Equitable Investment is where funds are not just deployed to maximize a project’s financial returns but they are rather deployed around the project’s ecosystem. This in turn helps to multiply sources of return, which will maximize social return in the instance of investment and capacity building that is purposely built to strengthen a local supply chain, consumer value chain or community empowerment through entrepreneurship promotion. It extends to partner mobilization for investment in commercially viable, basic community infrastructure and health services. The famous adage says that “It takes a village to raise a child” the same could be said that in Africa it takes a village to grow and sustain a business, the only difference being that the village is actually an ecosystem.”