If, at some point between 2000 and this year, you had a bright idea and needed some venture capital to turn it into money, you'd have stood the best chance if you were into biotechnology, lived in Cape Town, regularly played golf with business types, and didn't need too large a sum of money.
From next year much of that will probably remain true, except that you should have better luck in the energy sector – and your idea had better be very good indeed, or you had better be looking for an even smaller amount of money.
Complaints about the lack of available venture capital in South Africa and the rapacious deals demanded by those with the funds are perennial, and not unfounded. But a detailed survey of the industry over the last decade, under the auspices of the SA Venture Capital Association, has brought some hard numbers to the debate that show a situation both better and worse than common wisdom would have it.
To read the full, original article click on this link: The Daily Maverick :: Yes, there is venture capital in SA. No, you can't have any
