Hi there! I’m Rob, an online investor relations communications advisor dedicated to helping African listed companies communicate effectively online.
My journey started over 35 years ago in the African capital markets, where I've earned a reputation for developing tailored corporate and investor communication systems for companies of all sizes. Navigating the complexities and challenges of Africa's illiquid markets has deepened my understanding of the unique hurdles online investor relations face in our region.
For the first part of my career, as a qualified CA, I immersed myself in corporate valuations, privatisation and IPOs. This followed a period when I was the first broker and Secretary to the establishment of the Malawi Stock Exchange. It was a period of intense learning, where I worked out the hard way, in many instances, which communication practices work for listed companies. My big take away was that companies typically do not have the necessary skills and resources for online IR, but with the right tech and attitude low cost, low hassle solutions could be readily available.
While I was dedicated to traditional capital markets activities, I quickly recognised how far behind African companies were behind in online investor relations practices. Looking at the emergence of investor relations in the US after World War II, and how retail investors and the middle class transformed markets, I concluded that Africa is on the same trajectory of growth that the US experienced. Three things stood (and stand) out:
Listed companies are the obvious best channel to create and distribute Africa's wealth by raising equity capital investment, so good online investor relations practices have a critical place in Africa’s emergence into the global investment stage. I realised this back in the mid-2000s, so I have dedicated myself exclusively since then to empowering companies by enhancing their online presence, fostering transparency, and driving deeper stakeholder engagement.
It’s not been easy promoting good online practices to listed companies in African markets. The emergence of “stakeholder engagement” under sustainability frameworks has added more impetus to adopting good online IR practices in our markets, so I am really excited about the future.
There’s something satisfying about seeing a company’s investor relations practices meet minimum international thresholds, or come to life through modern, well-structured online platforms (particularly when the power of email is involved). More so, given the online community we are growing around our free pan-African portal: AfricanFinancials (+750,000 unique visitors p.a. accessing free information on +600 listed companies) and The Investor Mailing List (+33,000 email registrants receiving free daily email alerts from 12 African markets). Both these platforms exist solely to benefit listed companies.
When I’m not focused on helping listed companies I enjoy mountain biking (my bike is a Scott 910 softail) and fishing, which allow me to disconnect and recharge away from my screen. Africa spoils us for choice in these respects as we have some of the best sports fishing in the world and the best MTB tracks.
In addition to AfricanFinancials and The Investor Mailing List, my current projects include implementing a newsletter to showcase top IR websites in Africa and implementing an email newsletter sharing information on online IR directly with any executive involved in IR.
In conclusion, I believe that listed companies should take the lead in promoting investment creation through online IR in Africa. They are the ones to benefit, and implementing best practices, on their own terms and independently, will ultimately result in a better outcome, particularly if they drive transformative change for and from other market stakeholders.
I’d love to connect with you! Feel free to reach out to me at rob@africanfinancials.com or find me on LinkedIn.