S-RM’S 2025 Investor Sentiment Report | Forces of Change: How deal teams can thrive in an age of instability

The S-RM 2025 Investor Sentiment Report | Forces of Change is available now to download here.

This new report – which surveys over 150 global investors – provides key insights and analysis on how today’s ‘mega trends’ are impacting the deal environment, including in many emerging markets in Africa. It addresses the complex deal environment facing investors at present, including how geopolitical instability, challenging macroeconomic factors, and rapid technological change have made spotting and capitalising on investment trends a more intricate process than even a few years ago. Despite these complexities, disruption has also created new investment opportunities and certain sectors are flourishing – none more so than in Africa, where novel operational and strategic risks have led to a gear-change in investors’ approaches to risk analysis and mitigation, notably in the strategically important infrastructure sector.

The report establishes four key factors contributing to the resurgence of the infrastructure asset class, including: the energy transition, the ever-evolving digitalisation drive, supply chain realignment, and defence spending – which have all led to a reallocation of capital to high potential regions in Africa. It has become clear that non-financial risks are increasingly pivotal to decision-making at all stages of the investment cycle, with the link between effective risk management and value creation stronger than ever as investors look to drive operational transformation and unlock alpha. The combination of contemporary investor insights and S-RM’s extensive experience advising Africa-focused dealmakers make the report required reading for anyone looking to successfully manage their exposure to various asset classes on the continent.