International Investor Magazine Autumn 2021

JAGUAR I-PACE

Editor’s Note

This year was the aftermath of a pandemic, with market crashes, race for vaccines and virus variants that kept the world on hold. Expecting what 2022 may bring, in this edition we focus on projections for this new year. Africa as the region with more challenges ahead, we discuss how the lack of an efficient and strategic response against the pandemic is affecting the continent (p.42).

The European Investment Bank was key in financing vaccine developers like BioNTech, which created one of the leading mRNA vaccines, a novel technology that can pave the way for vaccines to treat many other illnesses, EIB openly discussed how it was financing this project (p.46). In this line, the Investment Association has some advice on how to invest in tumultuous years (p.71)

Małgorzata Rusewicz, president of IZFiA, discusses how are Polish companies adapting to new regulations, ESG issues are becoming increasingly important in Poland in the context of risk management and corporate governance of entities in the financial sector (p.12). Also, in an exclusive interview, AGRI Developments gave some recommendations for growing agricultural companies (p.17).

To finalize the year in the best way we want to congratulate all of our 2021 winners and wish them the best for this upcoming year, without them International Investor Magazine wouldn’t be possible.

Invest in Durban

Invest Durban delivers a world-class Metro based investor support service 12

How are Polish companies adapting to new regulations?

ESG issues are becoming increasingly important in Poland 17

Interview with AGRI Developments

AGRI Developments focuses on sustainable agricultural projects in high growth developing sectors across the emerging markets

Airlines A cohesive concept for a future airline.

Caye Bank: Best Private Bank and Banker in CARICOM

Caye Bank’s mission has been to always provide financial services based on trustworthiness

Interview with James Barnes, Director of Alpha Global Wealth

What separates us from our competitors are the core values of trust, honesty and attention to the smallest of details.

MultiBank Group Wins ‘Best Global Forex Group Award’

The company will launch a global cryptocurrency exchange and blockchain ecosystem called MEX Digital.

Funds

Direct Investments

COVID-19 has certainly multiplied the number of challenges in the region

46 European Investment Bank on the pandemic and challenges ahead

The SARS-CoV-2 virus has exposed how inadequately prepared the world is for pandemics

54 World Bank Projections: PostCOVID Africa Will be Highly Dynamic Environment

Recovery, the greatest goal for the struggling Sub-Saharan African economies.

59 5 ways for sustainably minded companies to build a postpandemic work model

COVID-19 has transformed the very nature of the employee-employer relationship

71

Investment management delivers for investors during a tumultuous 2020

Assets under management held by Investment Association (IA) members grew to £9.4 trillion in the UK

17

74 Jaguar I-Pace. Looking Good. Feeling Good.

Artists say you can only break the rules if you’ve mastered them. That’s how Jaguar created the I-PACE – the first and best electric vehicle of its kind.

46

64 Invest in Turkiye

A resilient, fast-growing economy, Turkey offers business-friendly policies, agile talent pool and global market access a

First Stop Shop

Invest Durban was recommended by the Durban City Council and organised private business as the First Stop Shopto stimulate new investment in the Durban metropolis. We act as a partnership between the Metro City Council and the private business sector, offering a free investor advisory service, plus key promotion, facilitation, and aftercare services between all investment stakeholders.

Invest Durban delivers a world-class Metro based investor support service, encompassing our four part business mandate, namely investment promotion and marketing; foreign investment identification, attraction and facilitation; FDI aftercare and expansion, plus investment advocacy.

Invest Durban works together with organisations such as the Department of Trade & Industry including Invest SA, Trade and Investment KZN (TIKZN), the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the KZN Growth Coalition, and State-Owned Enterprises such as Dube TradePort, the DBSA, IDC, Eskom, ACSA and others.

CATEGORIES

The thrust of Durban’s proposition to attract investors can be put into three broad categories:

• Premium Destination; a business and lifestyle environment most conducive to profitable, sustainable, with ample land available

Catalytic Projects, which have the potential to shift the socioeconomic landscape and trigger a series of investments across several sectors

Priority Sectors, which receive the focus of planners in a variety of ways, including the creation of clusters and the development of value chains to promote new ventures and investment opportunities.

CATALYTIC PROJECTS

Durban is working on a number of large-scale projects that have the potential to make a regional impact. The location of these projects is vital. They must either be on national trade routes or they should help to break down the old apartheid living/working dynamics. Projects are selected for their scale in terms of job creation, investment size and potential revenue creation. Ideally, the projects should include a combination of uses (retail, commercial and housing, for example) and they should fit in with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals.

The Point Waterfront Development, for example, fits very well into the category of a catalytic project. Some projections put the potential investment value at R40billion and the number of permanent jobs to be created at 6 750. It is an ambitious plan that is already linking the city’s beach promenade and the harbour.

The Point Waterfront Development offers a property use mix of office space, retail shops, residential dwellings and leisure options. The 55 ha site has already seen significant investment. A new cruise line terminal in the harbour, backing on to the Point will dovetail well with the new atmosphere of the precinct.

o ther major projects, amongst others, include the:

• GO!Durban Transport Oriented Development, which has already received major road upgrades and will be an even greater enabler of trade

• Centrum Government Precinct which would formalise the relationship between buildings such as the International Convention Centre (and extensions) and a related hotel, the library, council chambers and the redevelopment of Gugu Dlamini Park

Cornubia integrated human settlement development north of Durban, on 1 300 ha, a partnership between Tongaat Hulett Development, the human settlement departments at national and provincial level and eThekwini municipality

• Dube TradePort, the multi-modal facility at King Shaka International Airport CLUSTER INITIATIVES

Durban has a very diverse economic landscape, within which there are some large-scale enterprises. Cooperation between the public and private sectors is formalised by the large number of cluster initiatives which aim to draw to together experience and expertise from commerce and industry, labour organisations, government and academia.

Under manufacturing, the following clusters or programmes are active:

• KZN Clothing and Textile Cluster (KZN CTC)

• Durban Automotive Cluster (DAC)

• Durban Chemical Cluster (DCC)

• eThekwini Maritime Cluster (EMC)

• KZN Furniture Incubator

Agro-processing development programmes

Research aims to find out how best to grow particular economic sectors, and in-depth discussions are held about how to develop and grow value chains. The wealth of KwaZulu-Natal is mostly consumed or exported in its raw state - much more could be done to add value through processing.

The priority sectors are:

• Automotive and allied industries

• Logistics and logistics management

• ICT and BPS (Information & Comm’s Tech, plus business process services)

• Agri-processing

Life sciences (incl. Pharmaceuticals, medical device manufacturing, plus health facilities)

• Tourism asset development

Some of these initiatives play to the existing strengths of the regional economy, some seek to exploit newer avenues as in the emphasis on the environment and a growing interest in the oceans’ economy. A variety of projects link tourism, renewable energy generation, recycling and job creation.

There are various other broader programmes which have

their own goals, but there will be positive spin-offs for the targeted sectors. These schemes include the drive to increase local content, boosting metal fabrication across sectors, the promotion of black industrialists, promoting exports and the over-arching eThekwini Industrial Development Policy Action Plan.

Companies operating in these key sectors are invited to contact Invest Durban and benefit from these initiatives!

Full Name of Company: Invest Durban

Nature of Business: Investment promotion for eThekwini Municipality

Services / Products: “First Stop Shop” to attract, retain, expand and facilitate foreign direct investment into the Durban Metro. We provide marketing support, free investment advisory services, project management assistance, opportunity identification, and regulatory process facilitation to Foreign Investors, plus local Empowerment Partners.

Date Established: 2001

CONTACT DETAILS

head Office: Physical Address: 41 Margaret Mncadi Avenue, 11th Floor, Durban, 4001

Postal Address: P.O. Box 1203, Durban, 4000

Tel: +27 (0)31 311 4227 Fax: +27 (0)31 311 4092

E-mail: invest@durban.gov.za

Website: www.invest.durban www.durban.gov.za

How are Polish companies adapting to new regulations, in which commitment to the environment is becoming a requirement?

ESG issues are becoming increasingly important in Poland in the context of risk management and corporate governance of entities in the financial sector. Currently, it is not just banks, but also asset managers (investment fund companies, brokerage houses and others) that should make disclosures about the fulfillment of their ESG objectives.

nvestment firms start to recognize that profit is not their only objective and they must also consider the environmental and social impact of their operations. It has also become clear that portfolios incorporating ESG criteria provide better returns in relation to risk. This tendency will increase; environmental, social and corporate governance factors will be increasingly taken into account by professional investors, not only because of the regulations forcing issuers and asset managers to take certain actions, but also due to the growing awareness and pressure of individual investors, especially the young generation “Z”.

In Poland ESG already influences the valuation of companies. Nearly one in three investors take account of ESG risks in their investment strategy. Research conducted by PwC Polska in February and March this year shows that half of the investors notice these risk, but they do not consider them to be critical; however nearly 30% of the surveyed were willing to reduce their valuation or withdraw from an investment if ESG risks were too high. 43% listed companies have in place an integrated

business and sustainability strategy. According to our observations, the current level of awareness of nonfinancial reporting in Poland is intermediate.

Currently there is PLN 4.5 billion in investment funds with ESG profile, and more funds with this profile are awaiting supervisory approval. This is why our organization makes great effort to contribute to the process of educating the capital market and raising awareness of sustainable development, non-financial risks and reporting.

This is a period of intensive work for us: we organize training sessions, workshops and conferences focused on ESG issues in order to help members of our organization and all other entities interested in adaptation to the new regulations, in changing their strategies and implementing the necessary transformation. We believe that care for the broadly defined environment, in which we live, is not only a legal requirement, but it also shows the level of organizational culture of a company and people representing it.

Congratulations on being awarded best global agricultural investment development company of the year.

Tell us a little about agri developments and what distinguishes you from others.

First, a big thank you to International Investor and the voting panel for recognizing AGRI Developments and the hard work we have done this year. Second, we would like to thank Bayawan City in the Philippines, its people and Mayor Mr. Pryde henry Teves for supporting us and our developments within the city.

At AGRI Developments we focus on sustainable agricultural projects in high growth developing sectors across the emerging markets. A number of things make us unique in the industry. First, sustainable focused projects in the emerging markets are rare; this is particularly true in Asia where we are based. Quick profitability with rudimentary agricultural practices with little concern towards the environment have unfortunately been the norm. Second, our involvement with the community goes far beyond simple employment and involves education and working collaboratively with the local government to develop their entire sector.

Third, we have demonstrated a unique ability to foresee high yielding sectors within the agricultural space such as hass Avocados in Asia. Fourth, we have been able to efficiently use the resources we have to extract as much as we can which is in line with our sustainability focus. An example of this is our Mango project, where through yield optimization we can generate up to 10 times more revenue per acre than traditional farms. Our goal at AGRI Developments, in support of the world’s needs, is to always do more with less. By creating more value with less risk, by producing more crops from less land and generating more business with less of an ecological footprint.

TELL US MORE ABOUT YOUR DEVELOPMENTS AND WHAT MAKES THEM UNIQUE?

All our developments target high growth developing sectors within the agricultural industry and have common overarching themes. These themes include combating issues surrounding food security, supply, sustainability

and quality. At AGRI Developments we use innovation and technical advances to improve our productivity. This allows us to use less land to produce more in an environmentally friendly and sustainable manner. our key developments include Mango and hass Avocados and are based in Bayawan City, the Philippines.

Our Mango development aims at revitalizing the precious and underdeveloped mango sector of the Philippines. Mangos from the Philippines are world renown for their taste and sweetness and yet the market is remarkably underdeveloped. Demand is immense with 98% of production consumed domestically with global imports of the fruit rising 20-60% p.a since 2015 across key markets. Our development is the first of its kind in the country aimed at commercial production and implementing ACT, which allows us to produce 10x more yield per acre with fruit yielding 5x faster.

Our hass Avocado development was just launched recently and is one of only two in all of Asia aimed at commercially meeting growing regional demand. Avocados are relatively new to Asia and yet growing rapidly, by over 45% per year since 2014. By 2030 consumption in Asia is expected to surpass the current world’s largest consumers: the United States and Mexico. With 95% of supply currently coming from as far away as South America and Africa this provides our development with a significant regional opportunity. The Philippines is the only country in Asia capable of commercially meeting demand and we are positioning ourselves to benefit from this.

THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC HAS SUPRISNGLY BENEFITED YOU GREATLY TELL US MORE ABOUT THIS.

We are proud to have done well as a business despite the personal hardships many of us faced. That being said we would not call our success a surprise as the agricultural sector is of vital importance regardless of what occurs economically. People need food and this need is simply increasing more and more, as are costs.

What benefited us greatly during the pandemic was also our strategic decision years ago to focus on agricultural projects that primarily have a consistent and rapidly growing domestic market. our ability to not rely on exports allowed us to avoid the pitfalls many other companies faced from global trade restrictions and the closure of borders.

WHAT ARE YOUR FUTURE PROJECTIONS?

As a company, we feel our future is extremely bright. our success during the pandemic has strengthened our commitment to our original strategy and we are in the midst of expanding all our developments. Future consumption of mango, the national fruit of the Philippines, will remain strong. In addition, the government will keep promoting trade with lucrative export markets which pay up to ten times more than domestic rates for mangos from the Philippines. This will in turn increase our profitably in the long term. In terms of hass Avocados, growth is skyrocketing across Asia as well as domestically in the Philippines. This will benefit us greatly as we are only one of two commercially focused producers in the region.

In terms of our industry in general, we believe it will markedly outperform the general market over the coming decade. By 2050 Earth will need to produce 70% more food to feed an additional 2.5 billion people, whilst arable land decreases. People need food and this need is simply increasing.

Looking at the world as whole, we believe countries will increasingly focus on domestic sources of production and food sustainability through financial incentives, support or government mandates. The pandemic has shown that countries cannot blindly rely on one another for necessities as they have in the past. We believe food and water inventories, like oil inventories, will become increasingly important over the coming decades.

ARE

YOU LOOKING FOR PARTNERS OR SEEKING INVESTMENTS?

Yes, we are always keen to work with like-minded partners and investors. Expansion, reaching economies of scale and increasing profitability are key objectives of ours but we also seek partners that can help us expand our sustainability, social and community initiatives.

“A cohesive concept for a future airline”

Despite the challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of startup airlines are entering the global aviation market. one such carrier is Ava Airways – a Dominican Republic airline venture, established to cater for the demand between its hub at Santo Domingo and the Caribbean, Latin American, North American, European, and later, African destinations. Investors Magazine spoke to the airline’s CEO/CVO Mr. Olivier Arrindell, ahead of his participation at the London Aviation Festival Summit, taking place on 1-2 December, to find out more about the carrier’s launch roadmap and plans for the future.

“Ava Airways is an airline carrier of the Dominican Republic with a clear plan and vision to properly connect and operate scheduled flights via its hub in the city of Santo Domingo to the Caribbean, Latin America and Africa,” Arrindell told Investors Magazine. “The service Ava Airways plans shall provide and allow Latin American and Caribbean VFR (Visiting Friends and Relatives), leisure, businesses and corporations to properly connect with each other in commerce and trade specially in the tourism sector at a economical value.”

The carrier’s inaugural flight was planned for March 2020, however, due to the COVID-19 pandemic this had to be postponed and Arrindell shared that the new launch date will likely be in Q4 of 2022.

“We are simply waiting on people to get over the fear factor of COVID-19 and for every country in our inaugural destination plan to fully open and have a common approach to their travel requirements, such as COVID-19 testing and vaccination obligations. I love and support the approach the Dominican Republic have taken so far. This nation is smart from an economic point of view,” he explains.

One can’t help but wonder what makes this a good time to launch a brand-new airline in an industry which has been heavily impacted by the COVID-19 crisis, but Arrindell insists that times like these are, indeed, providing Ava Airways with even more opportunities. he explains:

“Challenging the status quo is also a focus of Ava Airways and not COVID-19. We’re also focusing on maintaining a good financial management system. It’s become evident in times like these that the most important thing is to have strong cash reserves.”

Ava Airways’ mission is to provide a simple and uncomplicated experience when it comes to flying. “With Ava Airways, we didn’t want to just envision a bunch of loosely connected potential innovations,” shares Arrindell. “Instead, what we have done is create a cohesive concept for the airline of the future. To do this, we organised all of our design innovations around three core principles: “Taking Crazy Out of Flying” – making Ava Airways actually worthy of passenger affection; “Know the Journey” –designing touch points that are tailored to the unique moments comprising a passenger’s journey with Ava Airways; and “Loyalty Matters” – creating a business model that goes beyond fare-based transactions, especially for the people of the Americas. A member of Ava Airways is completely different from a passenger of Ava Airways.” Moreover, the airline mobile app will be at the epicentre of all customer interactions, empowering passengers to have a greater control over their journey.

Looking ahead, Arrindell is optimistic about the industry’s recovery in the Caribbean and Latin American sectors. Quoting a recent research by financial services agency Moody’s Analytics, he shared that consumers around the world have stockpiled an extra $5.4 trillion of savings since the coronavirus pandemic began, creating a more positive outlook for passenger demand once international travel resumes.

Interview with James Barnes, Director of Alpha Global Wealth

1. FIRSTLY - PLEASE GIVE US AN OVERVIEW OF YOUR COMPANY, THE WORK THAT YOU DO, YOUR CLIENTS AND THE SERVICES YOU OFFER. WHAT ARE YOUR CORE VALUES/GOALS? HOW DO THESE CONTRIBUTE TO YOUR OVERALL SUCCESS? HAVE THESE CORE VALUES CHANGED AT ALL SINCE YOUR ESTABLISHMENT?

Alpha Global Wealth is a small boutique family office in the heart of Geneva, taking care of 150 international expatriates living and working in Switzerland. What separates us from our competitors are the core values of trust, honesty, genuine care and the attention paid to the smallest of details. Speed stuns and we always without fail respond and deal with any enquiries within 24 hours, even at weekends, when clients have the time to look at their own portfolio’s. We work in years and decades,

building lasting relationships, proactively engaging with our clients through a constant portfolio review process, to understand the current market trends, discuss and understand underlying fears, emotions and future wealth requirements. Alpha will be 5 years old in 2022 and whilst the core values haven’t changed, we have strengthened our proposition for the many clients that have existing portfolio’s with other wealth managers, IFA’s and investment banks, that maybe haven’t received the service levels and performance they were led to expect.

2. WHAT KIND OF CLIENTS DO YOU SERVE AND HOW DO YOU APPROACH THEM? HOW DO YOU DIFFERENTIATE YOURSELF FROM POTENTIAL COMPETITORS (IF RELEVANT)? WHAT IS, ESSENTIALLY, YOUR UNIQUE SELLING POINT?

We pride ourselves on being truly independent and offering a value for money investment and advice service. We have now reached the enviable position where we can pick and choose the clients we wish to work with, as such clients are by invitation or recommendation only, with minimum account sizes. One of our unique selling points is that we can construct a globally diverse and balanced investment portfolio without any restrictions or limitations. We find the larger brokerages have usually partnered up with fund houses and investment arms to create a ‘dual’ branded investment solution or DFM that has layers of fees and charges which pushes the TER sky high and doesn’t really offer true diversification or a value proposition. In many cases we can offer a far better solution, whilst lowering the overall annual cost of a portfolio, leading to greater annualised returns.

3. WHAT ROLE DO YOUR STAFF PLAY IN THE SUCCESS OF YOUR FIRM? WHAT QUALITIES DO YOU LOOK FOR WHEN RECRUITING NEW TALENT? HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR INTERNAL CULTURE AND HOW DOES IT CONTRIBUTE TO YOU COMPANY’S SUCCESS?

Dedication, drive and ambition are key attributes for a good Alpha employee. Someone that understands that the client is central to everything we do, we work for the clients and without them the business is nothing. We have a culture of continuous education and learning, any employee can study and take any relevant industry examinations both in the UK, Europe or Switzerland to better their knowledge and qualifications and the company will support and pay for the study text, cost of examination and pay for the time/days required to take the exams. Whether you are client facing, back office, or in administration we are all driven to daily improvements and exceptional client service.

4. CAN YOU DETAIL ANY SPECIFIC INDUSTRYBASED CHALLENGES YOU ARE FACING NOW AND MAY DO IN THE NEAR FUTURE? BY EXTENSION, IF APPLICABLE, WHAT IMPACT HAS COVID-19 HAD ON YOUR INDUSTRY OR OPERATIONS? WERE THERE ANY UNEXPECTED BENEFITS OR ADVANTAGES TO THE SITUATION YOU FOUND YOURSELF IN?

The pandemic was a huge shock to the business in the first months of March/April 2020, as it would have been for all businesses. However, I quickly realised that all our clients wanted was to be kept in touch and informed of what was happening to their portfolio’s, investments, the markets, our business and what might happen in the

future. We immediately contact everyone and scheduled 1 hour emergency video Teams meetings. I was holding 4-6 sessions daily for 6 weeks straight, the team were working from home, I however came into the office on my own each day, so the clients could see familiar surroundings and that Alpha was keeping it finger on the pulse. The immediate action that we took, was to offer proactive advice on limiting downside risk and identifying growth sectors that we felt would bounce back rapidly from the market correction. What amazed me, was how much money was sitting on the side lines waiting to be invested, as a business we had the largest inflows ever in a quarter in Q2 2020. One such investment recommendation was for clients to invest in Global crude Oil & Gas majors as a short term 18-24 month play, which they are now enjoying 80%+ gains.

We now see that there are clients wishing to start engaging again face to face, which is such a delight and for us its wonderful to welcoming people back into our offices. There are however a proportion of clients that are enjoying conducting business via video Teams meetings and for them and also us it’s an extremely time efficient way of managing and revieing accounts. I am able to hold 5-6 meeting daily now instead of 2-3 face to face meetings.

5. DO YOU HAVE ANY PLANS FOR 2021 AND BEYOND THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH OUR READERS?

We wish to keep improving our service levels, product offerings and online ADC ‘Alpha Digital Connect’ expansion of the team in key areas will enable this and

ultimately, engage with our clients even more. We have found that 6 x 30 minute sessions annually are far better received than 2 x 1 hour meetings.

6. DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD? ANYTHING YOU WOULD LIKE THE WRITING TEAM TO MENTION OR FOCUS ON? PLEASE DO ADD DETAILS HERE THAT YOU FEEL WERE MISSED BY THE ABOVE QUESTIONS.

Alpha Global Wealth has its ‘Vision 2030’ Alpha’s top 8 investment picks for ‘Vision 2030’ ARK Genomic Revolution ETF – Gene therapy bioinformatics, bio inspired computing and molecular medicine.

• Guinness Sustainable Global Equity Fund – Exposure to high quality companies with excellent ESG aligned with robust sustainability themes.

• LIT Global X Lithium & Battery Tech ETF WisdomTree Artificial Intelligence ETF

• IShares Automation & Robotics

• Guinness Sustainable Green Energy Fund – Actively managed selection of 35 companies in solar, wind, hydro, geothermal, biofuels and biomass sectors.

• ARK Space Exploration & Innovation ETF – Orbital and sub-orbital aerospace, technologies, aerospace activities (agriculture, internet, GPS, construction and imaging )

• WisdomTree Cloud Computing ETF

MultiBank Group Wins ‘Best Global Forex Group Award’ and Expands

Presence in Cryptocurrency

MultiBank Group, one of the largest financial derivatives brokers in the world will launch a global cryptocurrency exchange and blockchain ecosystem called MEX Digital. This launch marks the beginning of the broker’s largest rollout of new products and services that will cover the entire digital asset and blockchain industry.

As a pioneer in the global exchange industry, MEX Digital is a natural first step to cater to more investors while maintaining tight regulatory compliance. MultiBank Group has closely followed the cryptocurrency industry, searching for opportunities to give clients exposure to more financial instruments.

LEADING BROKER WITH HEAVY REGULATORY COMPLIANCE

One of MultiBank Group’s competitive advantage is its heavy regulatory compliance. In 16 years of activity, MultiBank Group has built an exclusive security system that segregates each client account while providing settlement facilities for each stakeholder, maintaining the highest level of security of funds.

Undeniably, security and trust are at the core when it comes to trading and finance. Thus, MultiBank Group has worked for more than a decade to implement the safest and most effective measures to secure their customers’ investments.

As a result, regulation has been at the forefront of MultiBank Group’s efforts to become one of the most trusted financial derivatives brokers worldwide. The group and its subsidiaries are regulated by 10 regulators across five continents. To facilitate a seamless trading experience while always keeping investors assets secure, they have approval from these regulatory bodies: Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC), Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA), Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (“BaFin), Cayman Islands Monetary Authority (CIMA), and other reputable regulatory bodies across the globe.

They offer consumer protection and enforce laws to protect consumers from their respective countries. It is also registered with regulatory bodies from Austria, UAE, and the British Virgin Islands, allowing MultiBank Group to have a global presence while maintaining compliance with the major regulatory authorities worldwide.

Further, since its inception, MultiBank Group has been relentlessly focusing on keeping investors’ assets safe. This builds a high level of trust between both parties and guarantees that nothing slips through the cracks of financial regulators. Being heavily regulated across all five continents, with 10 regulatory bodies, ensures that investors’ assets are always secure.

RECORD-BREAKING PERFORMANCE AND HIGHLEVEL TRUST

MultiBank Group continuously achieves record-breaking performance. They had a record US$5 trillion turnover in 2020, which exceeded their US$1.9 trillion turnover in 2019. This astounding 163% increase, in addition to their heavy compliance, multiple awards, and top facilities proves why clients worldwide can trust MultiBank Group. The financial results for the year 2020 mark yet another milestone for MultiBank Group and it is a testament to the financial strength and ambitious growth plans of the Group.

here are a few highlights of MultiBank Group:

• MultiBank Group is comprised of several entities that are regulated by ASIC, BAFIN, CNMV, FMA, DFSA, TFG, HKCE, AUSTRAC, FSC and CIMA.

• Paid-up capital of over $322 million

• 40+ awards, including ‘Best Global FX & CFD Broker’

• Fully segregated client accounts

• Best rebate structures for institutional customers, brokers, and banks

Guaranteed withdrawals of funds within 24 hours

A WIDE AND DIVERSE RANGE OF FINANCIAL

INSTRUMENTS FOR ANY INVESTOR

Access to various financial instruments is necessary to mobilize your private investment and get better returns. MultiBank Group offers 15000+ products across 6 asset classes:

• Forex Shares

• Metals

• Indices

• Commodities

• Cryptocurrencies

Along with its financial instruments, MultiBank Group’s cutting-edge trading platforms offer groundbreaking levels of stability and reliability for a great trading experience. No matter your skill level as a trader, MultiBank Group offers its esteemed customers a variety of account options so that they can get the best out of their capital.

WHAT MAKES MULTIBANK GROUP DIFFERENT?

“We have been at the frontier of the forex exchange industry. We have witnessed its exponential growth

and shaped it too,” the chairman Naser Taher stated. “Being early adopters of technology, we launched a fully transparent electronic forex and financial derivatives exchange.”

MultiBank Group is constantly looking to add the latest technology and finding new trends to achieve its goal of global expansion. For investors seeking a secure way to invest their capital, MultiBank Group’s investors can benefit from several of their offerings:

• 15,000+ instruments and up to 500:1 leverage. Starting with 0.0* pips on major instruments and 10 cents on gold.

• Benefit from the highest levels of security of funds with segregated accounts.

• Instant and guaranteed withdrawal and transactions within 24 hours.

• 25+ Global Offices including Australia, Austria, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, China (five branches), Cyprus, Egypt, Germany, and more.

• Copy-trading so clients can copy trades from profitable traders within seconds.

MultiBank Group has exceeded expectations by having a strong worldwide client base of over 320,000 and a daily

trading volume of over US$7 billion.

THE WAY OF THE FUTURE – MEX DIGITAL

By introducing MEX Digital, MultiBank Group aims to become a major player in the cryptocurrency markets. Boasting the latest trading technology and the most advanced CRM out there, fully ready to promote their cryptocurrency exchange.

MultiBank Group’s new spot cryptocurrency exchange, MEX Digital, is a regulated exchange with secured regulatory approval from a major regulator and it recently obtained regulatory approval from the Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC).

Furthermore, MEX Digital was recently registered with the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC). With investor protection at the forefront, MEX Digital will cater to individuals who are seeking more exposure to the cryptocurrency space while always keeping their assets secure. Thus, MEX Digital makes investing in cryptocurrencies safe, ensuring every investor the minimal spillover risk, adding it as a high reward asset to their financial instruments.

With heavy investments in technology and regulation, MEX Digital is ready to open its operations in Q3 2021.

Best Private Bank and Banker in CARICOM for 2021

Caye International Bank and its Senior Vice President and head of Private Banking, Luigi Wewege, were recently named the Best Offshore Bank – CARICOM 2021 and Private Banker of the year for CARICOM 2021, respectively, by the International Investor Magazine based out of London.

Belize is a front-runner for those seeking offshore banking and investing opportunities. The pandemic has created unique challenges for financial institutions, and we talked with award-winner Wewege of Caye to get his take on these challenges and more.

CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF?

I am a member of the Caye International Bank’s Executive Management Team, serving as Senior Vice President and head of Private Banking.

outside of my banking responsibilities, I serve as an Instructor at the FinTech School in California. The school delivers online training on the latest technology and innovation development in the Financial Services industry.

I am also the published author of The Digital Banking Revolution, now in its third edition, and available on Kindle and in audio and paperback formats on all major international online bookstores.

Previously, I helped complete a pilot study for the Federal Trade Commission during one of the most severe financial times for the American economy. The primary focus of the study was to examine and determine the accuracy of credit bureau information.

HOW DID CAYE INTERNATIONAL BANK GET ITS START?

Caye’s began as a Belizean mortgage company in 1996. After a continued success over several years, the decision was taken to become an international bank.

Caye was granted an unrestricted Class A International Banking License on September 29, 2003, from Central Bank of Belize. The Central Bank of Belize is responsible for regulating Caye International Bank and setting the standards for its liquidity and capital adequacy ratios.

CAYE INTERNATIONAL BANK HAS WON MANY AWARDS AND IS A CONSISTENT REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL CONTENDER. WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE THE PRIMARY REASONS FOR THIS?

Caye is the only fully focused international bank in the country. Our bank license permits us to conduct financial services with individuals and corporations outside Belize. The bank offers a full range of traditional and nontraditional banking services and accounts in multiple currencies, helping people with asset protection and asset diversification.

Belize also has a compelling tax structure. There is a zero-tax rate on deposits in many personal and business accounts. That one factor separates Belize from many other offshore locations.

HOW HAS THE BANK AND BUSINESS MANAGED TO THRIVE THROUGH A PANDEMIC?

Caye International Bank clients all face similar concerns, regardless of their location. The main differentiator in their response during COVID-19 has been the size of their portfolio.

A small diversification client may need a more sizeable amount of cash right now, whereas a more significant investor may switch asset classes or make speculative moves. At Caye, we are fortunate that our liquidity ratios far exceed minimum requirements. This allows us to weather these storms similar to those like the financial crisis in 2008.

MANY BUSINESS LEADERS HAD TO MAKE HARD DECISIONS TO SURVIVE THE PANDEMIC. WHAT STEPS DID CAYE MAKE, IF ANY?

We decided at the onset that we would not cut staff or reduce salaries. We chose to get through the crisis as a team. We realized it would be arduous to change an almost 20-year central command point bank service structure to a completely digital online arrangement with staff now working from home.

however, we learned what we thought was an impossible task could be achieved in a matter of days when receiving buy-in from all of the bank’s stakeholders.

WITH THE WORLD WORKING TO MOVE PAST THE PANDEMIC, WHAT DO YOU ENVISION AS THE FUTURE OF OFFSHORE BANKING IN BELIZE?

We’ve certainly felt the impact of the pandemic in Belize, economic and otherwise. Even so, we’ve managed better than some other areas of the world. Part of the credit goes to the forward-thinking attitude about all things financial that’s part of our way of doing things. We know that the country and our economy will thrive.

Belize is well poised to continue growing as a force in the world of offshore banking and investment. The laws continue to be refined to keep the nation at the forefront of ethical and practical banking solutions. A welcoming culture in general and the fact that banking officials and personnel in this country know the industry inside and out also helps engender confidence. We do not doubt that as more people discover Belize, our market share will keep increasing.

YOU HAVE AN EXTENSIVE TRACK RECORD AS A LEADER IN THE FINANCIAL SERVICE INDUSTRY. CAN YOU TIE THIS UP BY TELLING US WHAT THE FINANCIAL SECTOR NEEDS FROM ITS SENIOR MANAGERS IN AN ENVIRONMENT LIKE WE SEE TODAY?

There are two ways of dealing with rapid change. one way is through reactive protectionism. This is often through trying to stop the bleeding when change is forced upon you. This can be done by tweaking costs here and there to still be in the black for each quarterly budget. The other method is a nimbler, more proactive approach. It is knowing that most changes are not short-term and recognizing that the first inkling of any change is a signal of potential opportunity.

Leaders who can develop an adaptive vision and implement responsive systems to meet clients’ new needs are the ones who will be the most successful. often the big breakthrough successes come from leveraging disruptive change. It’s important to note that getting to this point also requires helping employees develop skills to deal with rapid change and as always, communicating “what” and “why” is critical to success.

Dominion Funds always researching investment ideas

Dominion creates and manages a range of investment products, which are highly effective, simple to understand, and achieve great results for our investors.

our approach, which differs from the majority of fund managers, means we are not constrained to one geographic region, currency, or industry sector. We are instead free to look for trends that are occurring at a global level and which offer investment opportunities.

This philosophy has led us to the creation of a range of investment funds that are unusual, interesting and (importantly in this rapidly changing world) flexible.

We create and manage this range of thematic investment products built around the concept of Global Trends. We identify the major sources of change in the world, Global Trends, and invest in the companies driving these sources of change. These long-term structural trends are reshaping our world and we believe all investor portfolios should have exposure to these themes over the long-term. It is by marrying this top-down approach to investing, with a deep focus on valuation analysis, that we have developed our ‘Growth at a Reasonable Price’ strategy, which is deployed across all of our funds.

These are effective, easy to understand and high-performance equity investment funds, driven by the major structural changes underway in the global economy.

Dominion is dedicated to thematic investing and as an investment team, this is our sole approach to researching investment ideas.

We live in an ever-changing world. While this creates hurdles and risks for investors, it also offers great long-term investment opportunities for the patient investor. At Dominion we believe a focused approach to investing in these structural trends offers investors unique, industry leading expertise, as well as a suite of investment products to gain exposure to the long-term upside from structural change.

The world is undoubtedly becoming digital and this trend is impacting not just technology, but every sector in the global economy. Ecommerce, interacting and transacting online, will become the normal as we migrate an ever-increasing portion of our lives, both leisure and professional, to the digital world. Our Ecommerce Fund focuses on investing in this global mega-trend.

The behavioural shift driven by a unique combination of technology and demographics will be one of, if not the, largest source of change in the world over the coming decades. This revolution in the way we function is perhaps only comparable in scale to the enlightenment and industrial revolutions. Ecommerce is a global phenomenon. It has already come to touch every aspect of our lives. But we are only at the end of the beginning, as in the coming decades ecommerce rises to global dominance. The Dominion Global Trends Ecommerce Fund, through its unique understanding of ecommerce and focus on investing in high quality, high growth companies, provides investors with unrivalled exposure to the largest technological and behavioural investment trend the world has ever seen.

Luxuries are goods and services which consumers use their disposable income to purchase. Demand for luxuries grows disproportionately with wealth and as global wealth increases, particularly in emerging markets, the outlook for luxuries demand is very strong. Our Luxury Consumer Fund is dedicated to investing in this trend in consumer demand for products and services, in both developed and increasingly in emerging markets.

Luxuries have been part of the economy since the beginning of civilisation, when the first socially stratified societies emerged in the ancient world. Luxury was one of the first industries to go global. Chinese silks, for example, could be found in Rome in 139 BC. Luxury is an enduring sector which will continue to grow for as long as wealth increases and societies remain stratified. The one constant which has remained since ancient times is that aspirations primarily drive consumer decisions, providing a fertile ground for healthy returns on capital as well as growth for companies able to help households ‘stand out’ from the crowd. This is the long-term focus of the Luxury Consumer Fund.

The changes underway in our world are not limited to just Ecommerce of Luxury Consumer spending. The world is changing, and it is changing faster than ever.

The Dominion Global Trends Managed Fund identifies and invests in the companies exposed to all of the major structural growth themes driving changes in the global economy. From climate change, to emerging healthcare, from urbanisation to electric vehicles, the Managed Fund offers investors exposures to all the major sources of change in the world today, and generates returns based on that change.

We undertake deep industry and sector analysis to identify the leading structural growth trends in the global economy and offer investors a diversified exposure to these investment trends. As the world continues to change, so does the investment focus of the fund, adjusting its exposures to be invested in the most important sources of change for the world. This ‘future proofs’ the fund and allows us to invest in the Global Trends of the future, as and when they arise. Investing in the Dominion Global Trends Managed fund offers investors a long-term exposure to the structural growth

underway in the world today, allowing their investments to benefit from Global Change.

We are thought leaders in Global Trends.

The investment team at Dominion is structured to bring expertise and experience from different sectors together to create breadth and depth of knowledge. With more than 100 years combined investment experience, the team is often years ahead of the market in identifying structural themes and successful investment strategies driven by Global Trends. We continue to use innovative thinking and research methods to generate investment ideas and new fund products which will stand the test of time for our investors.

Africa is Ready for a New Wave of Foreign Direct Investments

The

data is very hard to ignore, says the UNCTAD.

Struggling with lower vaccination rates, high debt and a lack of quick and efficient strategic response against the pandemic, Africa is in dire need of resources. COVID-19 has certainly multiplied the number of challenges in the region, some problems are very new and others can be traced back to generations.

According to a very recent report by the WhO, the continent is experiencing a sharp 83 percent increase in new COVID-19 cases, all driven by the Delta and Omicron variants. At the same time the organization is registering fewer deaths and much less severe cases when compared to previous waves of the virus.

The critical importance of vaccines is clearer than ever for government officials, businesses and institutions, as they are trying to apply innovative measures to contain the spread of the virus, and attract foreign direct investment opportunities in order to mitigate the higher unemployment rates we are seeing so far.

THE STATUS OF FDI WORLDWIDE

The latest trends monitor by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) showed that in the first half of 2021, global foreign direct investment flows reached an estimated $852 billion dollars, in what is considered a “stronger than expected” result, recovering more than 70% of the losses provoked by the pandemic itself.

Developed economies had the greater success, growing at three times the pace in comparison with the same period of time in 2020. But developing nations were not that far behind, as they managed to increase foreign

direct investment flows up to $427 billion in the first half of 2021, an outstanding achievement for economies in South-East Asia and Africa.

Certainly, global investors are extremely interested in working on projects related to infrastructure, all due to the very favorable environment for long-term financing options that we’re experiencing right now. China has been the leader in that specific area, conducting large amounts of money to a vast number of projects being made in the African continent, even through the darkest of COVID times during last year.

NEW CHANCES

While most African economies shrank by 2.1 percent in 2020, the African Economic outlook is projecting a moderate growth of 3.4 percent in 2021, helped by a rebound in commodity prices, higher exports, increased vaccination rates and a resumption of tourism. The perfect storm for an economic miracle? Some experts believe so.

Despite COVID, Africa is now a very different place to what it used to be, it is still the fastest growing region of the past 10 years, and a very good destination for foreign direct investments since it opened to world markets in the latter part of the 20th century.

With new sources of investment, countless emerging industries and sectors have expanded massively since the start of the millenium, and for governments and bilateral institutions in Africa, FDIs are a high priority issue that needs to be looked upon with the most objective longterm vision.

Most FDI flows in Africa have been historically related to manufacturing, services, hard resources, coal and oil, accounting for more than $200 billion in projects related to international interests. Experts in the topic have been very vocal about other business opportunities to capitalize on, such as IT services, renewable energy, communications and logistics, sectors that have enjoyed unprecedented levels of expansion and demand within the continent.

By focusing on certain specific areas of the economy and public life, Africa can certainly improve its current condition and increase the chances of recovery by 2023. one of those fundamental sectors is tourism.

Responsible for more than 7% of the continent’s GDP, tourism plays a crucial role in Africa’s path to total

recovery. We’re talking about an industry that contributes more than $160 billion a year, numbers that are extremely hard to ignore. Even more when there’s a growing middle class considering international travel once the COVID storm clears.

AFRICA WILL CHERISH INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT

The pandemic has reframed everything in regards to business opportunities in the continent, opening new ways for investors ready to dive into a new wave of foreign direct investments in Africa. Right now, governments are working around the clock in order to improve the business climate just to attract more international prospects.

Programs like the Enhanced Integrated Framework are outstanding innovative platforms aimed to assist investment promotion agencies, fostering and improving the scope of foreign direct investment in the region. Africa needs more of this, opening opportunities for investors and talents from all corners of the world is the best option, and more than any other continent it will embrace those splendid opportunities for years to come.

European Investment Bank on the pandemic and challenges ahead

The SARS-CoV-2 virus has exposed how inadequately prepared the world is for pandemics. But the shortcomings it has revealed are not just related to scientific and medical matters such as surveillance, containment, testing, tracing and treatment protocols. They also highlight market failures in the health and life sciences sector’s relationship with key elements of pandemic preparedness, response, and recovery, and the vital role that public financing and public financial institutions can play in addressing these.

Mass vaccination is essentially a public good. Vaccines are not big money spinners compared to other popular types of medication such as treatments for chronic diseases. Vaccines are usually sold by corporations at low volumes and for little profit. This is because most vaccines are generally needed only once in a lifetime, or sometimes once a year, whereas medicines for chronic illnesses, such as heart disease, are used more frequently and can be sold in greater volumes.

As a result, despite the threat that transmissible diseases pose to public health, the development of new vaccines has been limited in recent years by a shortage of investment. high development costs, low returns on investment, and all the business challenges involved in the development and production of vaccines, have forced some biopharmaceutical companies to leave the field altogether.

USING EVERYTHING IN THE TOOLBOX

When it became clear that the coronavirus would be a big crisis, the European Investment Bank decided to use all the financing tools at its disposal to support the science and technologies that could help. We did not focus on one company or one technology. We reached out to traditional vaccine developers and to new ones, such as BioNTech in Germany, which created one of the leading mRNA vaccines. Messenger RNA (mRNA) is a novel technology that can pave the way for vaccines to treat many other illnesses, including cancer, flu, and malaria.

The BioNTech financing is one example among dozens that show how venture debt from a public bank is important in helping companies in the infectious disease sector get to the later stages of clinical development. The private sector is reluctant to invest in such activities because companies are often startups, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), or have a limited track record. The eventual success of any innovation is also hard to predict, which creates an uncertain risk/return profile for the investment.

The European Union was behind the curve in life sciences research when the pandemic began, but we are catching up as we learn to accept more and higher risk. European investors tend to be more risk averse, and often lack the deep pockets or risk appetite to support the long development cycles of new products or treatments. European life science and biotech enterprises may attract funds for early-stage development projects via various highly competitive EC instruments and national funding programs; however, that funding can easily run out before they get to clinical trials. The result is that European enterprises often have no other option than to start looking for money from the United States, or more recently, China.

The EIB is working harder today to support more innovative, early-stage companies with promising projects that other investors don’t have the risk appetite to support. We were one of the first banks to invest in BioNTech’s mRNA vaccines, signing a €100 million agreement with the company in June 2020, only few months after the first COVID-19 cases reported in EU. This bold decision has proven successful, as BioNTech, together with Pfizer, delivered one of the first vaccines against COVID-19.

LENDING IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST

Not every project the Bank has supported during the COVID-19 crisis has been successful. however, in such difficult and dynamic times with a lot of uncertainty for the health of people and the consequences for the economy, we did not have the privilege to hope that one solution would work for everyone, or the luxury of investing a lot of time choosing and supporting only the best ones. Instead, we took bold and sometimes very risky decisions with the public interest in mind.

Many vaccines are now available and rolled out worldwide. They are doing a good job around the world and nevertheless, we have not stopped looking for new success stories. In October 2021, the Bank approved a €45 million loan to help the Spanish pharmaceutical company hipra manufacture its COVID-19 vaccine. This vaccine, which is still in the trial phase, is based on the traditional “recombinant protein” technology used by several other pharmaceutical companies. hipra’s vaccine has been modified to be more effective against the COVID-19 variants. It can also be stored in a standard refrigerator, so it could be helpful in developing countries and remote areas, where it can be hard to supply the special freezers needed for mRNA vaccines.

TESTING TIMES FOR TESTING

When the coronavirus pandemic hit, people in many countries simply could not get tested to find out if they had the virus. Why did it take so long to ramp up testing capacity? The answer is both technical and financial. Many diagnostics firms simply were not prepared to begin testing for a new pathogen like SARS-Cov-2. Tests for new pathogens are not created overnight. While some firms, including EIB clients such as Mobidiag, Scope Fluidics and Biosurfit, had already developed tests for similar viruses and were able to quickly adapt their tests for the pandemic, the complex nature of biotech development means that it typically takes much longer to develop tests for new pathogens, validate their accuracy, secure regulatory approval and begin production. Funding was also a major problem. Loans to the biotech sector are often earmarked for specific development plans. Using funds to develop new projects or test for new pathogens requires the consent of investors, a process that typically takes several months.

Diagnostics firms needed cash fast and Europe had to come up with new financing facilities to provide those funds. The European Commission set up new sources of funds for small, innovative firms, such as the European Growth Finance Facility. Guarantees provided by the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) allowed the European Investment Bank to tap the new facility for riskier projects or start-up firms. The temporary measures put in place during the pandemic also enabled us to increase the amount of money we lent directly to projects to up to 90%, substantially above the previous cap of 50%. In addition, the European Investment Bank rapidly expanded the amount of additional funds we could lend to existing clients by applying a simplified procedure to top up existing loans by 20% for COVID-19-related activities.

A VERY COMMON CRISIS

The problems we have faced in the pandemic of how to jump-start research, development and production of pharmaceutical products that private sector investors were reluctant to adequately finance, is fundamentally similar to the problems we face in promoting innovation in general and confronting other challenges, such as climate change. Reaching the EU’s ambitious objective of achieving a carbon neutral economy by 2050 will require sustained long-term investment in green innovation, including in un-proven technologies that are still in their pilot phase.

The European Investment Bank has a strategic focus on critical investment gaps and is committed to supporting the development of promising early-stage technologies from demonstration to commercialisation through a variety of innovation finance tools, equity funds, venture debt and advisory services.

Access to finance is often difficult for innovative companies that have yet to make it big. The EIB has therefore developed climate and environmental finance instruments to address market failures and supports investments that are economically viable, but do not receive sufficient commercial finance due to perceived risks.

In this way, we have been successfully nurturing nascent technologies such as offshore wind farms to commercial competitiveness through technical advice and investment.

About the authors:

Cristina Niculescu Cristina is a senior life science specialist at the European Investment Bank

Nadya Velikova is a life science specialist at the European Investment Bank

Auvo KAIKKONEN is head of the EIB Regional Representation for China and Mongolia

World Bank Projections: PostCOVID Africa Will be a Highly Dynamic Environment

Rising from dark times to bright aspirations.

Recovery, the greatest goal for the struggling SubSaharan African economies. While in some nations more than 50 percent of the population has been fully vaccinated, in this region only 6 percent are inoculated, the lowest vaccination rate in the world at the moment. A disparity that speaks volumes about the very limited resources in various African countries, funds that can make a difference when it comes to addressing COVID-19 and its many ongoing variants.

Vulnerable to new strains of the virus, this poses a great threat to any future recovery plans. So it’s time for Africa to learn from past mistakes and embrace innovative solutions on all fronts, a mindset that is now wellpositioned but badly executed.

A NEW OUTLOOK

Despite all the aggressive challenges, we saw outstanding examples at the start of the year; like South Africa, in which private consumption, commercial and industrial sectors showed a “faster-than expected” recovery, fostering feelings of hope that were already lost in the difficulties of the year.

But there are lots of hurdles ahead, the Delta variant derailed most of the projections, and the authorities had to raise lockdown measures to levels of higher restriction for the whole population. on the other hand, the government doubled down on the Temporary Employee/ Employer Relief Scheme, negotiating wages leading to more positive directions.

In the case of Rwanda, the government is trying every measure within reach to boost the pace of immunization as industrial production dropped to 14 percent. “We totally understand that vaccines do not provide a hundred percent immunity against COVID, but it helps to prevent the severe symptoms in groundbreaking ways”, said the health minister.

With more than 10 million doses administered to 30 percent of Rwanda’s population, the country has one of the highest vaccination rates in the continent, walking steadily to the path of faster recovery.

POSITIVE OUTCOMES

According to experts at the World Bank, the Sub-Saharan African economy will emerge from recession to levels of growth at 3.3 percent in 2021, all due to serious ongoing expansions within the industrial and services sector. Tremendous gains in private consumption are also expected as foreign investment will play a leading role in satisfying new demands.

A rapid pace of vaccination is needed at this very moment in order to foster any possibilities of major recovery. Those efforts are the main reason why some developed nations are enjoying high levels of growth, openness and success against the different variants of COVID-19 throughout 2021.

Ghana has managed to keep the virus from spreading lately, while providing the necessary support to the most affected households. Its exports in agriculture and heavy industry brought crucial gains to the country at the start of 2021, as it managed to serve the international demand with outstanding performance.

As oil prices surged, the same happened to Chad, Gabon and Cameroon, nations that benefited greatly from petroleum exports and the digitalization of tax and custom processes, generating more public revenue that can then be used by governments in the ambitious task of containing COVID within their borders.

RESTRUCTURING DEBT

The levels of public debt in Africa have increased in record breaking ways, but the scenario was very similar preCOVID. On average, gross debt will climb up to 71 percent of the GDP across the region during 2021, a difference of 30 points in less than 10 years. here’s when $9 billion dollars in Eurobonds come into place, with Ghana being the largest issuer of them all at $3 billion.

There’s no lie, the pandemic has been a catalyst of vulnerability in the region, more than any other factor in the last 5 years; governments and businesses know this and are working to overturn this whole situation.

one of the most critical assignments is to improve and restructure debt and the transparency of handling it, according to experts at the World Bank this will be an integral step in trying to close the wide gaps of execution and reporting. While progress is slow we can see how bilateral agreements are functioning as planned, steering

the wheel towards reconstruction just like Chad did last June.

NIGERIAN LEADERSHIP IS KEY

When its economy grew at 5 percent during Q2 of 2021, Nigeria managed to defy expectations and surprise many skeptics. This is not only a great example of resilience and outstanding management to other African nations but also the world, as the agriculture sector grew 6.7 percent, and the service sector had an impressive boost of 9.27 percent.

The main factor behind all these impressive achievements is the integration and aggressive adoption of digital technologies to boost productivity, fostering employment opportunities for young women as the workforce gets more diversified with talent.

Recent reports indicate that economic activity in Africa will surely strengthen as more countries find innovative ways to combat the pandemic. With projections that range from 2.3 to 3.4 percent, the international community will surely have their eyes fixated upon any possible scenario for 2022, as demand for products and services will rise in parallel with peculiar investment opportunities. The ones who are willing to face the risks are taking action right now.

5 ways for sustainably minded companies to build a post-pandemic work model

By Shankar Raman

COVID-19 has transformed the very nature of the employee-employer relationship, accelerating trends that were already in play and calling into question many things we took for granted before the pandemic – such as being required to work on-site. Many employees are fundamentally reconsidering what they want from their careers and how they want to work. And millions are quitting their jobs. Employers are not only trying to determine how to support the individual needs of a diverse workforce but also are reconsidering many of the basics of how work gets done today.

how organizations balance business sustainability with supporting employee needs is key as we create a new post-pandemic normal. here, we delve into how the way work is getting done is evolving and businesses’ increasing focus on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), as well as environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues. Not all of these trends may impact organizations equally, but it’s important for employers to take note as they start planning for a sustainable work model in the wake of COVID-19.

1. HYBRID WORK MODEL

Most employees want to come back to the office in some form. over the course of the pandemic when most people worked remotely, there seemed to be an uptick in productivity. however, people are increasingly feeling disconnected from their colleagues and workplace, and they want to return to work, typically two or three days a week, according to our 2020 Global Benefits Attitudes Survey. For example, our survey of employees found that almost four in 10 employees (38%) would prefer a mixed on-site/work-from-home experience.

We suggest employers consider preparing hybrid working models to address employee demands. The best way to plan is to first understand the needs of different employee segments and the type of work that’s being done. A

proactive hybrid work strategy will enable employers to rethink how and where work gets done while continuing to focus on the employee experience. This will strengthen employee engagement and enhance productivity.

2. NEW PRIORITY FOR THE OFFICE SPACE

Before the pandemic, more often than not the primary purpose of the office was to serve as a quiet space to do individual work, and secondarily as a place to collaborate and communicate with colleagues. What’s becoming clearer, is that the office or workplace will evolve and centre more around collaboration, rather than the traditional quiet environment of individual work. our Flexible Work and Rewards Survey 2021 found that over a third of employers expect budget reductions in real estate (36%). Almost every organization is planning to retain at least some office space for collaboration.

And what is also becoming increasingly clear is that remote work is good when workers are doing traditional transactional work or even incremental innovation. But doing innovative or transformational work remotely is proving difficult because it requires frequent collaboration. So employers are going to need in-office collaboration to drive transformative innovation through constructive conflict.

3. ACCELERATION OF DIGITALIZATION

The use of collaborative tools such as Teams and Zoom reflects the acceleration of digitalization. But we’re also seeing an increase in investments in areas such as augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), data and analytics, blockchain and cryptocurrency.

Now, since many are working remotely, we’re leaving a much larger digital “footprint”. The data created can help us drive better decision-making. Companies that use AI-based tools to drive better employee experiences and ensure more personalized experiences will see better results.

Organizations are beginning to use automation and network analysis. The beauty of Teams, Zoom or other collaborative tools is that hR can use data generated from these tools to assess how much time and with whom employees are collaborating, giving a better understanding of networks within an organization and how collaboration is being enabled.

We also expect that digitalization will lead to the development of new business models within existing companies, increased adoption of blockchain and the proliferation of new payment mechanisms, including cryptocurrency.

4. DEI SENSITIVITY

The pandemic has had different impacts and driven distinct experiences among various employee groups – women, people in caregiving roles, people of colour, working parents, lower-income groups etc. Profound questions related to DEI have come to the forefront. As employers start planning for new ways of working, they could unwittingly create inequities on multiple dimensions: pay, benefits and career prospects.

Organizations should monitor the impact of their policies on groups that could be at risk of being treated in an inequitable manner or be impacted by unconscious bias in the workplace. They will also need to prepare managers to be aware of these issues, ensure that they lead in an inclusive way and be aware enough to change flexible working policies that result in inadvertent bias. Employers should be reviewing their rewards offering, and understanding the preferences and impacts of current benefit provisions on different worker cohorts to identify areas for improvement.

5. THE ESG IMPERATIVE

ESG is increasingly becoming a boardroom conversation, with climate change as a central topic. With the recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report providing dire warnings about the impact of global warming, companies are becoming more conscious about their carbon footprints. Many have announced that they are going to drive toward net-zero carbon emissions.

From our perspective, as companies move to a hybrid work environment, they have to consciously make choices and adopt a strategy toward reducing their carbon footprints and achieving their netzero ambitions. This could have profound effects on companies’ business models and value chains.

Climate change is also becoming an important narrative of the employee value proposition. Increasingly employees are asking questions such as: What are you doing about climate change? Do you have an active policy? An employer’s answers might impact prospective employee decisions regarding whether they join the organization or not – especially important amid competitive labour markets and many employees quitting their jobs. Similarly, answers to those questions can help retain employees too.

In addition, organizations will come under greater scrutiny in terms of corporate governance and social practices. They will need to take a proactive approach to ESG and increasingly report on ESG metrics that reflect their strategies. In the longer run, successful companies will embed ESG into their business strategies.

Turkey - ready for transformation in global economy

A resilient, fast-growing economy, Turkey offers business-friendly policies, agile talent pool and global market access at the nexus of Europe, Asia and Africa to attract sustainable FDI.

Adapting itself to the challenges and transformations in the world economy and emerging as a post-pandemic supply demand hub in the global value chain (GVC), Turkey has been one of the fastest recovering economies in the world in the aftermath of the Covid-19 outbreak, expanding 7.4 percent y-o-y in the third quarter of 2021. For year-end 2021, Turkey’s GDP growth is projected to accelerate and reach double-digit numbers.

Turkey’s resilient economy has been a favorite target of investors during the pandemic, as it was over the last 18 years. Turkey continued to attract greenfield and expansion investments along with merger & acquisition projects in various sectors, also witnessing a rise in interest of financial investors, successful funding of startups and exits with lucrative returns. In the last year, the Turkish entrepreneurship sector has seen 5 unicorns, including an IPO in NASDAQ.

As the economy is recovering from the pandemic, the quality of economic growth is also increasing in Turkey with significant contributions from net exports to the Euro Area as external demand firmed. Turkey has developed a strong and diversified export capabilities so that products manufactured in Turkey have been making their way to the international markets in a broader scope and scale in terms of the volume and variety. Besides the European Union, which is still having a dominant role, other regions of the world, specifically United States, Middle East and African countries are now counted among Turkey’s top export destinations. In 2020, despite the interruptions in the global supply chains and serious disruptions in manufacturing, Turkey scored USD 170 billion exports, while yearly exports reached USD 221 billion in November 2021, the highest amount in the Republic’s history.

That being said, why do multinationals opt for Turkey as a robust GVC link?

STRONG AND DIVERSE MANUFACTURING CAPABILITIES

Buoyed up by state support, Turkey’s manufacturing base is diverse and robust. According to a World Bank report, Turkey’s manufacturing base has moved up the value chain, having transitioned from limited manufacturing to advanced manufacturing. Turkey’s manufacturing sector has attracted more than USD 40 billion worth of investment over the past 18 years.

DEVELOPED AND TECH-SUPPORTED LOGISTICS INFRASTRUCTURE

Being attached to the fact that logistics is a key to a major role in GVCs, Turkey has made massive investments in transport infrastructure over the past decade and a half to create domestic and international transport links.

PROXIMITY TO SOURCE AND DESTINATION MARKETS

With its favorable geostrategic location, multinational companies have already made Turkey their home to run their business in the region by leveraging its location as a manufacturing, exports, R&D and management hub. Better still, Turkey is poised to offer more companies easy access to multiple markets in its immediate vicinity on top of a host of other market advantages.

QUALIFIED LABOR FORCE

Turkey’s domestic labor force has been one of the most dynamic in the region. Besides, the country offers a productive pool of qualified engineers and competent senior managers with international experience.

LIBERAL INVESTMENT CLIMATE WITH AN EXTENSIVE INTERNATIONAL TRADE NETWORKS

having a customs union with the European Union (EU) and free trade agreements in place with over 28 countries, Turkey has a vast commercial network. Businesses functional in Turkey have access to approximately 1 billion potential customers with no custom restrictions or tariffs.

INCENTIVES FOR INTERNATIONAL INVESTMENTS

The incentives have been one of the main instruments to transform Turkey’s economy toward higher added-value services. The incentive system of Turkey is mainly based on tax discounts and tax exemptions. The scope of the incentive is determined according to the qualification of the investment, type of product and the location where the investment will take place. Medium high-tech and high-tech investments, including products listed by the OECD, receives one of the most generous incentives

regardless of location. Priority incentives are provided for investments in priority areas, such as investments in freight and/or passenger transportation by sea, airway or railway, energy efficiency, LNG storage, waste recycling, nuclear energy plant investments and touristic accommodation investments. The main components of the incentive in Turkey are VAT exemption, customs duty exemption, corporate tax reduction, social security premium support, interest rate support on credits, and land allocation support.

TURKEY - AMPLE ROOM FOR GLOBAL INVESTORS

In addition, Turkey’s robust economy has been a favorite target of investors over the last 18 years. Investors worldwide sought safe havens that offered high yields and lower risks in the aftermath of the 2008 Global Financial Crisis. Turkey became one of those countries that piqued the interest of global investors thanks to its impressive growth rates and financial reforms.

A diversified economy, a young population with half under age 32.7, and an entrepreneurial business ecosystem supported by reforms stand out as attractive advantages for international companies looking to increase their commitments in Turkey and to grow their investments in the region using Turkey as a springboard.

Turkey has emerged as a strong regional player with global ambitions to be one of the top 10 economies in the world. According to IMF, in 2020, Turkey recorded the second highest growth among G20 countries, becoming the world’s 11th largest economy in terms of purchasing power parity. In the same period, Turkey was also among the countries with the highest increase in industrial production in the G20.

INVESTMENT OFFICE - YOUR RESILIENT PARTNER

Investment Office of the Presidency of the Republic of Turkey promotes Turkey’s investment opportunities to the global business community and for providing assistance to investors before, during, and after their entry into Turkey. Directly reporting to the President of Turkey, the Investment Office is in charge of encouraging investments that further enhance the economic development of Turkey. To this end, the Investment Office supports high-tech, value-added, and employmentgenerating investments with its facilitation and follow-up services during whole processes of relevant investments.

Active on a global scale, the Investment Office operates with a network of local consultants based in a number of locations including China, Germany, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, the UAE, and USA. The Investment Office offers an extensive range of services to investors through a one-stop-shop approach, ensuring that they obtain optimal results from their investments in Turkey.

Investment management delivers for investors during a tumultuous 2020

Assets under management held by Investment Association (IA) members grew to £9.4 trillion in the UK by the end of 2020, an increase of 11% on the previous year, according to the Investment Management Survey (IMS) the annual assessment of the state of the industry.

Total funds under management (FUM) for UK investors have also seen an 11% increase year on year, reaching £1.4 trillion in 2020. Quick adaptation to home working, a focus on delivering for customers, and crucial interventions from the central banks were all key aspects of the industry’s recovery and resilience through the Covid–19 pandemic.

The UK remains the second largest investment management centre in the world behind the United States, and by far the largest investment management centre in Europe with a market share of 37%. The UK’s share of the European market is larger than the combined total of France, Germany and Switzerland. The UK also remains an attractive hub for overseas investors. By the end of 2020, overseas client assets accounted for 44% of total AUM (equivalent to £4.2 trillion).

The growth in assets managed according to responsible investment criteria is one of the standout developments of 2020. The green agenda continues to rise in prominence and investment managers have committed to support the transition to net zero emissions. 49% of total assets managed by IA member firms apply ESG integration, up from 37% in 2019. The proportion of assets subject to sustainability focused criteria almost doubled in 2020 to 2.6% of total assets.

Retail investor appetite for environmentally conscious funds has been building over recent years but the pandemic brought social concerns to the fore, as net retail sales to responsible investment (RI) funds accelerated through 2020 to reach £11.7 billion, a third of overall sales. FUM in responsible investment funds grew by 60% over 2020, pushed higher by strong sales and new fund launches. The percentage of UK investor FUM in RI funds remains small but growing at 3.9% - up from 2.6% at the beginning of 2020.

March 2020’s market contraction in the equity and bond markets badly hit asset valuations globally and UK investor FUM fell 11% over March alone. A swift recovery followed as central banks took decisive action to calm markets. however, the recovery in UK equity valuations has lagged other major markets, including the US. AUM in UK equities continued to fall in 2020 - down three percentage points from 2019, reaching a record low of 26%, whilst North American equities have grown to account for 23% of equities in 2020. The fall in UK equities also reflects the long-term trend of higher allocation to globally diverse equity and bond strategies. Three quarters of equity assets are now invested overseas compared with just over 50% ten years ago and assets in overseas bonds are 55% of all bond AUM in 2020.

CHRIS CUMMINGS, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE INVESTMENT ASSOCIATION SAID:

“The investment management industry demonstrated its long termism through the pandemic by supporting the companies it invests in. The swift action of the central banks supported the global economy and the industry rallied to the cause injecting over £22bn into businesses to help them ride out the storm. But the pandemic wasn’t the only story of 2020. We also saw the acceleration towards a greener economy as retail investors placed record funds into responsible and sustainable investments, seeing a new generation embracing investing. With the final transition out of the EU completed, the industry is well-set to build on its world class reputation which has already led to it managing £9.4trn of international clients’ funds.”

The IMS also sets out detail on the key themes from 2020, including: the continued growth in responsible and sustainable investing, the growth in private markets, and how the industry has adapted to the post-Brexit landscape

LOOKING GOOD. FEELING GOOD.

Artists say you can only break the rules if you’ve mastered them. That’s how Jaguar created the I-PACE – the first and best electric vehicle of its kind.

It’s achieved global recognition for its outstanding design. And won multiple awards. More than that, Jaguar’s allelectric performance SUV offers customers around the world an unrivalled balance of all-wheel drive performance, refinement, luxury and agility – with an outstanding real-world range and day-to-day usability.

I-PACE is capable of up to 470km/292 miles (WLTP test cycle) on a single charge and, at home, up to 53km/33 miles of range (WLTP) can be added per hour using an 11kW AC wall box and three-phase supply.

A 90kWh battery and two Jaguardesigned electric motors, one at each axle, produce 400PS and 696Nm of instant torque, enabling acceleration from 0-100km/h in just 4.8 seconds (0-60mph in 4.5 seconds).

All this is matched with technology to make every electric journey in I-PACE simpler and more enjoyable. Pivi Pro infotainment is ready to go by the time you’re in the driving seat and is as intuitive to use as your smartphone.

The navigation can show if nearby charging stations are available or in use, the type of connector they have, what they cost, and how long it will take to charge. On long drives, Pivi Pro can also show your predicted charge level at each waypoint.*

There’s an embedded SIM and a 4G data plan for unlimited music streaming.**

A Smartphone Pack with wireless Apple CarPlay® is standard. So is wireless Android Auto™.

And you don’t have to visit a retailer for software updates. I-PACE has software-over-the-air capability, so the infotainment and vehicle systems are always using the latest version – like your smartphone.

Talking of phones, I-PACE can connect two handsets simultaneously. And an optional wireless device charging pad beneath the centre console has a signal booster to improve network reception and Wi-Fi.

Technology also contributes to cabin air quality, because your comfort and well-being are prioritised in I-PACE.

The cabin air ionisation system has PM2.5 filtration to capture ultrafine airborne particles and allergens. It can even filter the cabin air before you begin a journey.

Alan Volkaerts, Jaguar’s Vehicle Line Director, said: “When we developed the I-PACE we wanted it to be the world’s most desirable electric vehicle and to show what happens when Jaguar goes electric. I think we achieved those ambitious goals and we’ve made it even better with technology that benefits driver and passengers alike.”

One example is the unobstructed view of what’s behind you on the road – even with tall passengers in the back, or a full load of luggage. The clever optional ClearSight digital rear-view mirror uses a wide-angle, rear-facing camera linked to a screen behind the mirror. You can simply switch between the standard view and the camera feed.

Long motorway journeys are more comfortable thanks to the availability of Adaptive Cruise Control with Steering Assist. It gently assists the steering, acceleration and braking to centre you in your lane while maintaining a set distance from vehicles ahead.

Home charging is faster and more convenient for customers with a threephase electricity supply, thanks to I-PACE’s 11kW on-board charger. When plugged in to an 11kW AC wall box, up to 53km/33 miles of range per hour can be achieved.*** A full charge takes only 8.6 hours – ideal for overnight charging.

Customers with a single-phase supply using a 7kW wall box can achieve up to 35km/22 miles of charge per hour. A full charge takes 12.75 hours.

You can also set a desired start and finish time for charging – helping you take advantage of any reduced-rate electricity tariffs.

When charging away from home, 100kW DC chargers can add up to 127km/78 miles of range*** in just 15 minutes. Alternatively, 50kW chargers add up to 63km/39 miles over the same period.

A global success and the recipient of 88 automotive awards – including the triple accolades of 2019 World Car of the Year, World Car Design of the Year and World Green Car – the I-PACE is the first and best electric vehicle of its kind.

International Investor Awards Winners 2021

COVID-19 change the way businesses work, the investment community had to take a step further and reinvent in many ways. In order to recognise the effort behind every individual and company during this time, we selected champions from a wide range of businesses.

The awards are open to any business, large, mid-size or small, established or start-up, provided they display first rate service, opportunity, innovation and performance. The following pages celebrate organisations that drive forward the world of international business and investment.

ACTIVTRADES

Safest Global Broker // 2021

ActivTrades is a leading brokerage serving clients in over 140 countries. Launched in 2001 as a pioneer in online trading empowering a new generation of traders, today ActivTrades is a multiple award-winning, multi-platform global organisation which leads the way as a highly reputable and innovative brokerage. Initially specialising in Forex it gradually expanded the range of products and currently offers over 1000 CFDs or Spread Betting instruments across Forex, Indices, Shares, Commodities, Financials and ETFs.

Alongside MetaTrader, the world’s most popular trading platform enhanced with Smart Tools developed exclusively for its customers, the brokerage offers ActivTrader, its own intuitive and fullyfeatured platform designed for all levels of trading experience and available on desktop, smartphone and tablet.

headquartered in the City of London and with additional offices in Milan, Nassau, Sofia and Luxembourg, it delivers superior trading conditions and outstanding customer care in 14 languages across the globe.

Visit ActivTrades Website www.activtrades.com/en/

AGRI DEVELOPMENTS

Best Global Agricultural Investment Development Company Of The Year // 2021

AGRI Developments is a leading private alternative asset company specializing in the agricultural industry. We seek emerging opportunities globally with an objective of delivering long term value in high growth developing sectors within the industry.

As the world’s population increases, the need for more food and investment into productive and sustainable uses of land become increasingly urgent. At AGRI Developments we are committed to developments that deliver a positive impact which goes far beyond profitability and encompasses corporate social responsibility as well as providing benefits on a socioeconomic level.

By 2050 Earth will need to produce 70% more food to feed an additional 2.5 billion people, whilst arable land decreases. AGRI Developments, in support of the world’s needs, always aims to do more with less. By creating more value with less risk, by producing more crops from less land and generating more business with less of an ecological footprint.

www.agridevelopments.com

ALPHA GLOBAL WEATH

Private Banker of The Year // CARICOM 2021

Alpha Global Wealth provides exceptional independent financial advice to international professionals in Switzerland and around the globe.

We pride ourselves on only employing fully UK qualified Wealth Managers who can offer first-class financial advice to our clients. We achieve the very best for our clients and offer 24/7 access to our services. our reputation speaks for itself as over 80% of our business is generated from our existing clients’ recommendations.

What we do

We provide tailored wealth advisory, investment services, pension services, insurance and lifestyle solutions.

Who we help

As an international expatriate or localised foreigner, you have specific financial opportunities and challenges to manage. We design our financial advice and tax solutions around the unique situation of you and your family. You will have access to your own dedicated Wealth Manager as well as our whole team of financial experts who will consider your individual situation in depth. We are a Swiss registered limited company with our head offices in Geneva.

ARCA FONDI

Digital Wealth Management Company Of TheYear // Italy 2021

Digital Portfolio Management Platform Of The Year // Europe 2021 (ARCACLICK)

Arca Fondi SGR is an Italian active asset management company, founded in 1983 by the association of 12 cooperative banks. Today, Arca Fondi manages around €32 billion divided between mutual funds, pension funds, and institutional accounts.

Thanks to a network of distributors made up of more than 100 banks and other financial institutions scattered throughout the country, its client base is made up of over 800 000 investors. With almost forty years of experience, Arca has established itself as one of the country’s main asset managers.

The strength of Arca Fondi is its people. Teams who continuously improve themselves to achieve corporate goals. The corporate culture nurtures talent in an environment that encourages selfimprovement and striving for excellence.

Thanks to numerous innovative processes implemented in recent years, the customer has been placed at the centre of every single activity. The professionalism and creativity of all employees make Arca Fondi the ideal partner for the investor looking for reliability and safety.

BGL CORPORATE SOLUTIONS

Most Innovative Fintech Company // Australia 2021

BGL delivers SMSF administration and corporate compliance management software solutions to over 8,000 businesses in 15 countries – all through its user-friendly and highly intelligent web applications, combining amazing UX with powerful technology.

Founded in 1983 with only 2 employees, BGL has grown to be the #1 developer of compliance software solutions in the world – employing an amazing team of 170+ people across the globe!

BTG PACTUAL

Best Investment Banking Services // Colombia 2021

BTG Pactual is the largest investment bank in Latin America. Its principal business lines are related with Investment Banking, Corporate Solutions, Sales & Trading, Wealth Management and Asset Management. BTG Pactual is managed according to a meritocratic culture focused on the client, excellence and a long-term vision. It currently has 4903 employees through offices in Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Colombia, Peru, , Mexico, United States, Portugal and England.

For additional visit www.btgpactual.com

DOMINION FUNDS

Best Thematic Investment Management Firm // UK 2021

Dominion is a Fund Management company established in 2004. Dominion specializes in thematic investment built around the concept of Global Trends. The Dominion Funds are high performance and easy to understand capturing investment opportunities in a rapidly changing world.

As an independent company with entrepreneurial qualities, Dominion is wholly owned by the management Team and members of the Investment and operations Team are stakeholders in the Company.

Dominion is determined to fulfil its vision in creating value for investors and its highly skilled and experienced Investment Team based in the City of London work towards this goal constantly and have a long track record of delivering consistent, robust performance for our investors. From the outset, Dominion sought to create the type of Funds that the Team itself would want to invest in. For this reason, the first investors in Dominion’s Global Trends Funds were the company’s Management Team, and they remain investors today.

Most Comprehensive Payment Solution // Africa 2021, Excellence in Corporate Governance and CSR // Morocco 2021

hPS is a multinational company and a leading provider of payment solutions and services for issuers, acquirers, card processors, independent sales organisations (ISos), retailers, mobile network operators (MNOs), and national & regional switches around the world.

PowerCARD is hPS ‘comprehensive suite of solutions that covers the entire payment value chain by enabling innovative payments through its open platform that allows the processing of any transaction coming from any channel initiated by any means-of-payment.

PowerCARD is used by more than 450 institutions in over 90 countries.

hPS has been listed on the Casablanca Stock Exchange since 2006 and has offices located in major business centres (Africa, Europe, Asia, Middle East).

For more information: www.hps-worldwide.com

INVEST IN DURBAN

Best FDI Agency // Africa 2021, Rusell Curtis: FDI CEO of the year // Africa 2021

Invest Durban acts as a partnership between the Metro City Council and the private business sector, offering a free investor advisory service, plus key promotion, facilitation, aftercare services between all investment stakeholders.Invest Durban delivers a world-classMetro based investor support service,encompassing our four-part businessmandate, namely investment promotion and marketing; foreign investment identification, attraction and facilitation;FDI aftercare and expansion, plus investment advocacy.Invest Durban works closely with theDepartment of Trade & Industry includingInvest SA, Trade and Investment KZN(TIKZN), the Durban Chamber ofCommerce and Industry, the KZN GrowthCoalition, and state-owned enterprises such as Dube Trade Port, the DBSA, IDC,Eskom & others. Key partners include the largest banks, audit and advisory firms,plus sector-based organised business bodies working in concert to promote investment in Durban.

INVEST IN TURKIYE FDI Agency OfThe Year // Eurasia 2021

A resilient, fast-growing economy, Turkey offers business-friendly policies, agile talent pool and global market access at the nexus of Europe, Asia and Africa to attract sustainable FDI. The Investment Office of the Presidency of the Republic of Turkey is the official organization for promoting Turkey’s investment opportunities to the global business community and for providing assistance to investors before, during, and after their entry into Turkey. Directly reporting to the President of Turkey, the Investment Office is in charge of encouraging high-tech, value-added, and employment-generating investments that further enhance the economic development of Turkey, with its facilitation and follow-up services during whole processes of relevant investments.

Active on a global scale, the Investment Office operates with a network of local consultants based in a number of locations worldwide and offers an extensive range of services to investors through a one- stop-shop approach, ensuring that they obtain optimal results from their investments in Turkey.

KBZ BANK

Best Bank // Myanmar 2021

Best In Digital Transformation // Myanmar 2021

For over two decades, KBZ Bank has been part of Myanmar’s growth story, working tirelessly to strengthen communities and institutions for the long term and to improve the quality of life for all.

As Myanmar’s largest privately-owned bank, we represent nearly 40 percent of both retail and commercial banking in the country, driving the success of the nation’s entrepreneurs, businesses and communities.

Today, KBZ Bank is helping to fast-track Myanmar’s development in the digital age, embracing next-generation banking.

We have seized the advantages of mobilefirst technology in promoting financial inclusion and connecting our customers to the people, opportunities and places that they value most. Through KBZPay, Myanmar’s fastest-growing mobile wallet, we have brought banking beyond our 500 branches and to even more communities.

We are also transforming from the inside out, drawing on the latest technologies to work more efficiently and serve our customers better, while developing the bankers and leaders of the future.

The future of Myanmar will be built on the strength of its key institutions and KBZ Bank is leading the way.

MULTIBANK GROUP Best Global FX Group 2021

Established 16 years ago in California, MultiBank Group has consistently invested in technology to enhance their financial portfolio, ensuring not only scale and scope but improving user experiences and offering new trading opportunities.

The Group and its subsidiaries are licensed and regulated worldwide through respected authorities including ASIC, BaFin, FMA, CNMV, FSC, CIMA, and DFSA. This means that clients can trade with full confidence while enjoying complete security of funds with segregated accounts, the most favorable trading conditions including leverage up to 500:1 on a wide range of over 15,000 instruments, the tightest spreads in the industry starting from 0.0 pips, and 100% ECN platform.

Today, MultiBank Group boasts a paid-up capital of US$322+ million, a client-base of 320,000+ and a daily trading volume of US$7+ billion, making it one of the largest financial derivatives providers worldwide.

For more information please visit: www.multBibankfx.com

LOTUS CAPITAL

Best Islamic Investment Company // Western Africa 2021

Lotus Capital Limited is a full-service ethical investment management company specializing in Asset Management, Private Wealth Management and Financial Advisory services. Lotus Capital is a pioneer in non-interest finance in Nigeria and duly registered with the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) as Fund Managers.

our company has consistently contributed towards the growth of non-interest finance in the Nigerian capital market. In the last 15years since our inception, we launched the first halal Exchange Traded Fund and halal Fixed Income Fund in Nigeria. We were Financial Adviser and Issuing house to three (3) highly successful Sukuk issuances in Nigeria. We are also the first Nigerian company to launch an index in partnership with the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

We currently manage 3 mutual funds listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. Our goal is to build long-term wealth for our clients by leveraging our expertise to provide innovative and viable alternatives to conventional finance, thereby helping our customers align their finances with their values.

WHITESTAR ASSET SOLUTION

Excellence in CSR // Portugal 2021, Best Asset Management Service Provider // Portugal 2021

Founded in 2007, Whitestar Asset Solutions, S.A. is the leading Servicer in Portugal managing credit portfolios, including performing, sub-performing and non-performing portfolios and real estate, offering an integrated and complete asset management service for investors and originators.

We guarantee an offer of related services, such as consulting, real estate management, securitization and structuring, business analytics, among others.

In 2015, Whitestar was acquired by Arrow Global Group (UK), becoming one of the main European economic groups operating in the market for acquisition and management of credit portfolios.

YEMPO

Best Offshore Employment Solution Provider // Asia 2021

Yempo (“Your Employees Offshore”) is a high-value multi-award winning offshore outsourcing company, operating in 3 locations in the Philippines. Yempo’s clients enjoy all the benefits of outsourcing alongside the peace of mind that their offshore resources are provided with excellent benefits and working environments, within a professional and collaborative culture.

Specializing in senior talent, Yempo’s hundreds of employees range from IT specialists (developers, testers, engineers and technical support analysts), Finance staff (accountants, bookkeepers, CPAs) and Marketing, Engineering and Customer Support talent.

Co-founders Michelle Fiegehen and Ian Parkin have long career histories in corporate environments in Australia, Asia, US and the UK and developed the Yempo model to be flexible and low risk. As a result, Yempo enjoys high retention and low attrition of both clients and employees.

Yempo enables clients to have their own fully managed offshore team, without the overhead of an offshore entity.

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