Our Team

IFA is managed by two partners Sol Bezuidenhout and Anton Kleingeld, who collectively have more than 35 years of experience across venture capital, financial services, quantitative analysis, strategy, and advisory services. We work with a network of partners for access to specific technical skills like financial modelling or legal and regulatory requirements, when appropriate.

To date, we have supported more than 45 businesses with technical assistance and investment readiness support. We have a strategic partnership with Edge Growth for the supply of bespoke services to businesses and investors that best fit our capability set.

Sol Bezuidenhout

Sol is an investment professional with over 20 years’ experience.  He is a qualified chemical engineer with a master’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Stellenbosch.  He started his career in mining but swiftly transitioned into finance in 2005 when he joined HBD Venture Capital, Mark Shuttleworth’s Venture Capital business, as an analyst.  During 2008 he joined Hasso Plattner Ventures Africa as an Investment Manager at the funds inception and ended up as the Managing Partner for Hasso Plattner Capital Africa, the family office for one of the founders of SAP Software where he worked until 2015.  Since then, Sol has been involved in several entrepreneurial ventures including corporate advisory, fund raising for businesses etc.  Since 2021 Sol co-founded IFA to provide Technical Assistance and investment readiness support to the Anglo-American Sustainable Investment Initiative who support selected business in Southern Africa to get investment ready and to match them to a panel of over 70 local and global investors.  

Dr Anton Kleingeld

Anton is a strategy and financial services expert with more than 15 years of experience. Anton holds a PhD in Chemical Engineering (focus on Innovation in large industrials) but quickly moved into financial services in 2008. He has spent the bulk of his financial services career at Old Mutual Group, with roles across internal strategy consulting, business advisory, strategic partnerships, corporate innovation, investments, and wealth management. He has worked in the US, Latin America and Africa and strongly believes in leveraging knowledge and experience across markets with similar macro-economic and consumer dynamics. Over the past 7 years Anton has focused his career on working closely with a range of founders, investors, businesses, and partners to support the development of local entrepreneurship and economic growth in Africa. His passion lies in making a difference in people’s lives through investment into impact areas aligned to the UN SDGs.  In 2021 Anton co-founded IFA to provide Technical Assistance and investment readiness support to the Anglo-American Sustainable Investment Initiative who support selected business in Southern Africa to get investment ready and to match them to a panel of over 70 local and global investors.

Anton Kleingeld

Anton is a strategy and financial services expert with more than 15 years of experience. Anton holds a PhD in Chemical Engineering (focus on Innovation in large industrials) but quickly moved into financial services in 2008. He has spent the bulk of his financial services career at Old Mutual Group, with roles across internal strategy consulting, business advisory, strategic partnerships, corporate innovation, investments, and wealth management. He has worked in the US, Latin America and Africa and strongly believes in leveraging knowledge and experience across markets with similar macro-economic and consumer dynamics. Over the past 7 years Anton has focused his career on working closely with a range of founders, investors, businesses, and partners to support the development of local entrepreneurship and economic growth in Africa. His passion lies in making a difference in people’s lives through investment into impact areas aligned to the UN SDGs.  In 2021 Anton co-founded IFA to provide Technical Assistance and investment readiness support to the Anglo-American Sustainable Investment Initiative who support selected business in Southern Africa to get investment ready and to match them to a panel of over 70 local and global investors.

How We Work

Our operating model is based on the following principles: