Private Equity and Venture Capital (PE/VC) Firms’ Outlook in the Middle East and Africa

PE/VC firms in the MEA region are overwhelmingly optimistic going into 2021, with nearly three-quarters expecting investment activity to increase and 43% focusing on making new investments. Most expect fundraising conditions to improve, and nearly a third say their firms will focus on raising new funds. Somewhat predictably, most firms identified COVID-19 as the greatest risk. ESG continues to slowly gain traction in the region; however, 25% of firms still do not take ESG factors into consideration.