Circle Capital

Dr Mamphela Ramphele (Chair) is the Chairperson of Circle Capital Ventures. She is a director of several major companies. She served as MD of the World Bank from May 2000 to July 2004. She was also responsible for the World Bank Institute, which provides training and learning for both staff and clients. Prior to joining the World Bank, Mamphela Ramphele was Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Town, a post she took up in 1996, becoming the first black woman to hold this position at a South African university. Mamphela qualified as a medical doctor at the University of Natal in 1972. She holds a PhD in Social Anthropology from the University of Cape Town, a BCom degree in Administration from the University of South Africa, and diplomas in Tropical Health and Hygiene and Public Health from the University of Witwatersrand.

Hlumelo Biko (CEO) maintains an extensive network of business, government and personal relationship spanning the length and breadth of southern Africa. Over the last five years, as CEO of Circle Capital Ventures, Hlumelo has been the lead deal maker in 7 private equity transactions. He has raised up to R700 million worth of equity capital for Circle Capital Ventures. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Politics from the University of Cape Town, and a Master of Science degree in International Business Government Relationships from Georgetown University. Hlumelo has been a founding partner in Cicap Global (our Corporate Advisory Division) and Circle Capital Commodities Trading.

Owen Dube (General Counsel) holds a BCom Law and LLB from the University of Fort Hare and University of Cape Town respectively. Upon completion of his studies he articled Smith Incorporated and later joined Hofmeyr Herbstein & Gihwala Incorporated to complete his articles. He was appointed an associate, a position he held prior to joining Circle Capital. Owen’s main areas of focus are commercial transactions, acquisitions and mergers, advice on BEE transactions, deal origination and advice and your general commercial litigation and contract drafting.

Beven Nyatoro (Partner) studied at the University of Cape Town, where he obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1998. He went on to graduate from the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom with a Maters degree in International Studies in 2001. In 2002 he worked for the United Nations Information Centre in the United Kingdom. He subsequently returned to Zimbabwe where h started a company by the name of Roftan Investments. His work there afforded him extensive experience in commodities trading, particularly trade in southern Africa. In 2003 Mr Nyatoro co-founded Circle Capital Commodities Trading. He is currently the CEO and director of the said company.

Louisa Stephens (Chief Investment Officer) is responsible for the structuring and implementation of equity transactions for Circle, fundraising and represents the company on the boards of a number of portfolio companies. Prior to joining Circle, Louisa was a Fund Manager at the National Empowerment Fund’s (NEF) Corporate Fund. She provided oversight and guidance to a team of professionals to further the NEF’s mandate of providing debt and equity financing to advance black economic empowerment (BEE) for small and medium sized enterprises. Her role involved originating, structuring and funding transactions, managing the Corporate Fund pipeline as well as sitting on the Fund Management Divisions’ Investment and Portfolio Management Committees. Prior to joining NEF, Louisa was a translator in the Investment Banking division, in Acquisition & Leverage Finance at Rand Merchant Bank (RMB), a division of FirstRand Bank Limited. She has extensive experience in mergers & acquisition, structuring, arranging debt funding and implementing leveraged debt transactions primarily in the private equity sector. Prior to the establishment of the Acquisition & Leverage Finance team, Louisa focused on BEE transactions providing seed capital for RMB’s BEE partners and arranging debt and equity funding for their investments and managing the BEE relationships. A graduate of the University of Cape Town (Bachelor of Business Science-Finance) and a qualified Chartered Accountant, Louisa served her articles at KPMG, in the Financial Services Division. She was auditor in charge of People’s Bank and FBC Fidelity Bank, a former subsidiary of Nedbank, and now fully integrated into Nedbank. Her role as auditor included overview of the banks’ credit management and analysis of credit strategy. Louisa was seconded to KPMG Tanzania for two months, during which time she gained experience in banking and treasury management in emerging markets.