Maghreb Private Equity Fund I

The Mahgreb Private Equity Fund I (MPEF I) is a generalist private equity fund investing in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia. Its main investors are Averroes Finance, EIB, FMO, IFC and Natixis. SECO has committed USD 3.0 million to the fund.

MPEF I invests primarily in Morocco, and opportunistically in Algeria and Tunisia. Its strategy is to take active minority or majority positions in companies, usually with representation on their board of directors and other appropriate means. The fund seeks to invest USD 0.5 - 1.5 million in unlisted SMEs in the target region. MPEF I target industries are agribusiness, processing and packaging, telecommunications, financial services, textiles, and chemical, electromechanical, pharmaceutical and tourism sectors. Its objective is to exit investments within four to seven years through initial public offerings, strategic sales and management buy-outs.

MPEF I is managed by Tuninvest Finance Group (TFG), a leading private equity house in North and sub-Saharan Africa, active since 1994. TFG manages the mutliple funds covering North, Central and West Africa, and is the co-founder of the African Venture Capital Association.