Bame Pule - "Investments in the US were incremental; in Africa they would be transformational"

"That's where I think we've missed a trick. And that's really where I have focused my entrepreneurship and energy and time and talent"

Bame Pule is the chief executive of private equity firm Africa Lighthouse Capital, based in Botswana. He is a graduate of Pomona College in California and received his MBA degree from Harvard Business School. He worked at Goldman Sachs, Credit Suisse, Citigroup, some of the biggest names in finance. But we wanted to find out why he decided to move back to the African continent, even though he was on a fast track in the United States. (Interview from 2025)

Plus: Why risk premium is often mispriced

🌟 IN THIS EPISODE:

2:49 Why return to Africa?

5:52 Why local investors matter more than foreign

8:58 Family offices investing in Africa

11:50 Why America matters

16:12 American investors looking to Africa

💬 QUOTES TO REMEMBER:

"We need foreign investment and we want foreign investment. "

"People see an opportunity for strong financial returns and good businesses."

"As Africans, we don't just want investment, but we recognize that we are dealing with investors."

"There is untapped market and untapped talent."

🌍 ABOUT LIMITLESS AFRICA

The podcast that asks how Africans and Americans can work together for shared prosperity

Every Monday: 15-minute episodes that dive into an issue that matters to Africans

Every Thursday: extended interview with someone unlocking Africa's limitless potential

➕ WANT MORE?

“The VC model is the wrong fit for Africa. Do something different.” https://trueafrica.co/article/podcast/the-vc-model-is-just-fundamentally-the-wrong-fit-for-africa-you-have-to-do-something-different/

Is venture capital the right choice for African start-ups? https://trueafrica.co/article/podcast/is-venture-capital-the-right-choice-for-african-start-ups/

“Foreign aid has fuelled corruption, dependence, weak governance” - Maya Horgan Famodu https://trueafrica.co/article/podcast/foreign-aid-has-fuelled-corruption-dependence-weak-governance/

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Limitless Africa is sponsored by the US Department of State and the Seenfire Foundation.

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