S01E21 Crown Castê: Muhammed Yesufu

Welcome to Crown Castê, your financial literacy podcast for small businesses. We publish inspiring, insightful conversations with investors and stewards of capital, about why they decided to make placements into a specific portfolio company of theirs. In today's episode, we are joined by Muhammed Yesufu.

Muhammed is an investment manager and head of financial advisory at London-based Woodhall Capital, a financial advisory firm that specialises in raising international funding for large corporates, financial institutions and sovereigns. The firm has raised over $2.5bn in the past 8 years. Prior to joining Woodhall, Mohammed was managing partner at Creed Trust Partners and a private equity associate at CBO Capital Partners. In this episode, we discuss: 1. Mohammed's Journey from Businessman to Investor: How did Mohammed transition from being a self-starting entrepreneur to an investor? What critical experiences and lessons did he garner from his time at CBO Capital? 2. Sub-Saharan Africa: The Final Frontier for Exponential Growth: What are Mohammed's thoughts on the opportunities in Sub-Saharan Africa? What unique challenges and realities does this region present for investors? How does he perceive the VC model's application in this region? 3. Market Consolidation in Sub-Saharan Africa: Why does Mohammed believe market consolidation is inevitable in Sub-Saharan Africa? How has this played out in sectors like banking in Nigeria? Which sectors does Mohammed believe are ripe for consolidation? 4. Agriculture: The Key to African Market Consolidation: Why does Mohammed see agriculture as the most exciting sector in Sub-Saharan Africa? How can consolidation and innovation in this sector drive growth and alleviate poverty? What are the various elements of the agricultural value chain that are open to investment? 5. Developing a successful investment thesis for Africa: How does Mohammed approach the complex challenges of investing in Africa, including exchange rate volatility and potential legal risks? What key considerations does Mohammed highlight for creating a fund that provides comfort to external investors interested in the African space? 6. Changing Perceptions and Overcoming Misconceptions in African Investments: What is trade finance and how does it support businesses in need of operational cash? What insights has Mohammed gained about profitable and unprofitable businesses from working with entrepreneurs through Woodhall Capital? Contact Info: Mohammed’s Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mohammedyesufu