How many investments has Sanari Capital made?

Sanari Capital has 10 tracked investments, including 1 dated in the last 24 months.

What stage does Sanari Capital invest at?

Sanari Capital invests at the Growth, Late Stage stages.

What is Sanari Capital's typical check size?

Sanari Capital typically writes checks of $3M – $15M.

What sectors does Sanari Capital focus on?

Sanari Capital focuses on Impact & Social Good, Sector Agnostic.

Where is Sanari Capital located?

Sanari Capital is headquartered in Sandton, ZA.

Does Sanari Capital lead rounds?

Yes, Sanari Capital leads investment rounds.

Who does Sanari Capital co-invest with?

Sanari Capital most often shares deals with 4Di Capital, ARISE, Convergence Partners, among 4 tracked co-investors.

Sanari Capital

Private equity

Sandton · Growth–Late Stage · 20 people tracked

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Find your way into Sanari Capital

1,167 people in our graph share verified history with the Sanari Capital team — schools, employers, funds. One of them is your warm intro.

Jussi Pyörreunlockedknows Ville Rimali · together at Eniram - a Wärtsilä company (overlapped)

×3knows the team · via Wärtsilä

×3knows the team · via Convergence Partners

×4knows the team · via Rand Merchant Bank

knows the team · via Investec

✨ Fox Verdict

Investment thesis

Sanari Capital is a private equity firm focused on medium-sized and mid-market growth companies emanating from Africa that have regional and global scalability. It partners with well-established businesses at an inflection point supported by thematic growth drivers, emphasizing digital and human enablement to unlock business potential. The firm positions itself as offering more than capital, investing in meaningful partnerships that enhance future value and build lasting legacies. Sustainable value creation, impact, and ESG are central to its approach, aiming to benefit not only companies and investors but also the communities and environments connected to its portfolio businesses.

Invests inImpact & Social GoodSector AgnosticAfrica Johannesburg South Africa

Source: firm website, verified Sep 27, 2026.

Stage

Growth–Late Stage

Check

$3M – $15M

Sandton, ZA

Leads rounds

Leads

Instruments

Equity

Founded

2013

AUM

$80M

Tracked investments

Team · 20 people

from the firm's website & curated

Samantha Pokroy· Founder and CEO· City of Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africain

Founder and CEO of Sanari Capital with over 20 years of private equity experience in South African and US markets. Previously led investments at Ethos Private Equity and worked at Winona Capital (KRK), JPMorgan and Stern Stewart. Holds an MBA from Chicago Booth and is a CFA Charterholder.

Moushmi Patel· Investment Partner· City of Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africain

Investment Partner involved since Sanari's first investment, covering the full private equity value chain. Previously worked in investment banking at Rand Merchant Bank and at PwC. A Chartered Accountant with an MBA from GIBS.

Ofentse Pelle· Investment Partner· City of Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africain

Investment Partner who joined Sanari in 2020 with over 13 years in investment banking, private equity and venture capital. Previously managed Frontier Impact Fund and worked at Investec. Holds an MBA from INSEAD and is a CFA Charterholder.

Samantha Watermeyer· Operations & Compliance Partner· Cape Townin

Heads Operations, Legal and Compliance at Sanari, overseeing fund administration and the back-office team. An admitted attorney specialising in financial services compliance who previously led compliance at RCS.

Sihle Gumede· Investment Partner· City of Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africain

Investment Partner who joined Sanari in 2020 with over 10 years of private equity experience. Previously at Convergence Partners and Investec, and ran her own advisory business. A Chartered Accountant who led Sanari's investments in iiDENTIFii and Energenic.

Jeffrey C. Neal· Investment Partner· Winnetka, Illinois, United Statesin

Founding Partner and Chairman of the Investment Committee; spent 30 years at Merrill Lynch, formerly Chairman of Global Investment Banking.

Ville Rimali· Investment Director· Helsinki, Uusimaa, Finlandin

Ville Rimali is Investment Director for Energy Storage at Taaleri Energia. He previously held roles at Wärtsilä Energy, including Director of Growth, Development and Business Support, where he led a team responsible for strategy implementation, market and project development, services agreements sales, and digital solutions across Europe and Africa, and earlier worked in business development on projects including battery energy storage systems. He holds M.Sc. degrees in power systems and economics.

Chantal Clark· Finance Managerin

Finance Manager overseeing fund administration and finance functions, with over two decades of financial experience including more than 10 years in private equity. Previously at Phatisa Managers and Actis. A Chartered Accountant.

Dean Sparrow· Chair of the Investment Committee (Independent)

Independent Chair of Sanari's Investment Committee and CEO of fintech group Crossfin Technology Holdings, with over 20 years investing in African businesses, predominantly in ICT. Former CEO of Capital Eye Investments and senior leader at UCS.

Hany Assaad· Investment Committee Member (Independent)

Independent Investment Committee member with over 35 years in emerging markets investing, including co-founding Avanz Capital Management and more than two decades at the IFC. Recognised expert in PE fund management and impact investing.

Jacob Mashike· Investment Committee Member (Independent)

Independent Investment Committee member with over 25 years of investment management experience at Treacle Private Equity, the IDC and CDC Capital Partners. Holds engineering and business leadership degrees.

Jo-Ann Pohl· Non-Executive Chair of the Board

Non-Executive Chair of Sanari's board, associated with the firm since 2017. A Chartered Accountant and c-suite professional who has served as Group CFO at iOCO, Telesure, and other institutions, and is currently a Senior Advisor for Kearney Africa.

Lehlogonolo Thankge· Investment Analystin

Investment Analyst who joined Sanari in 2024 with experience in management consulting and investment banking at Standard Bank, focusing on ESG-linked funding. Holds a Bachelor of Business Science from the University of Cape Town.

Ntomfuthi Sibanyoni· Receptionist

Receptionist who joined Sanari in 2018.

Nuku Wa Lesego· Administrative Assistant

Administrative Assistant who joined Sanari in 2022.

Patricia Umeche· ESG and Impact Officer

ESG and Impact Officer who joined Sanari in 2018, developing and implementing ESG and impact frameworks across the firm and its portfolio. Previously spent 12 years in community development and environmental education.

Philasande Caleni· Accountant

Accountant who joined Sanari in 2023.

Sanjay Kassen· Non-Executive Director

Non-Executive Director and Joint Head of Corporate Commercial Practice at ENSafrica, specialising in M&A, equity capital markets and B-BBEE transactions. Admitted as an attorney of the High Court of South Africa.

Trevashan Pillay· Investment Analyst

Investment Analyst who joined Sanari in 2023 with a background in global markets, M&A and transaction support. Started his career at HSBC and later worked at boutique investment banks. Holds a BCom Honours from the University of the Witwatersrand.

Zoaib Hoosen· Advisor· Johannesburg Metropolitan Areain

Advisor and former CEO of Microsoft South Africa with over 35 years in the ICT sector, associated with Sanari since 2020. Offers portfolio insights on strategy, general management and business development.

What they invest in

from 5 of 10 portfolio companies

AI & Machine Learning ×2Hardware ×2IoT ×2Cleantech ×1Consumer ×1Cybersecurity ×1Deep Tech ×1EdTech ×1

HQs:South Africa×4

Investments · 10 tracked

founders shown can be your intro path

By year:2025 · 1 2024 · 12 dated

Ctrackctrack.com in 𝕏Sep 2025 · $23.4M

Ctrack provides a fleet management and asset tracking platform powered by telematics and AI that helps businesses across various industries optimize fleet operations, monitor driver behavior, and predict maintenance and operational needs.

AI & Machine LearningIoTLogistics & Supply Chain

Co-investorsConvergence Partners

EduLife Groupedulifegroup.co.za inJul 2024

Edulife Group operates a network of private schools across South Africa serving approximately 3,400 learners through various fee models ranging from subsidised to high-end estates.

ConsumerEdTechFree State, ZA

iiDENTIFiiiidentifii.com in 𝕏

iiDENTIFii provides identity verification and liveness detection technology to help businesses authenticate customers, prevent fraud, and meet regulatory compliance.

AI & Machine LearningCybersecurityFintechSaaS

Marco Wagener(Founder)in

Co-investorsARISE

LightWare LiDARlightwarelidar.com in 𝕏

LightWare designs and manufactures compact, lightweight microLiDAR laser distance-measurement sensors for autonomous sensing applications such as drones, gimbals, and obstacle detection.

Deep TechHardwareRobotics

Nadia Nilsen(Founder)in

Sensor Networkssensornetworks.co.za in 𝕏

Sensor Networks develops smart home hardware and software for energy management, security monitoring, and risk mitigation in residential properties, primarily serving insurance companies and South African homeowners.

CleantechEnergyHardwareIoTSouth Africa, ZA

Mark Allewell(Founder)inFrancesco Stemmet(Chief Operations Officer)in

Co-investors4Di Capital

Other

Tracked investments with no reachable website or further public details — typically companies that wound down, renamed, or were absorbed.

EnergenicFernridge SolutionsJAYCORLightwareSumantrasolutions

Frequently asked questions

How many investments has Sanari Capital made?: Sanari Capital has 10 tracked investments, including 1 dated in the last 24 months.
What stage does Sanari Capital invest at?: Sanari Capital invests at the Growth, Late Stage stages.
What is Sanari Capital's typical check size?: Sanari Capital typically writes checks of $3M – $15M.
What sectors does Sanari Capital focus on?: Sanari Capital focuses on Impact & Social Good, Sector Agnostic.
Where is Sanari Capital located?: Sanari Capital is headquartered in Sandton, ZA.
Does Sanari Capital lead rounds?: Yes, Sanari Capital leads investment rounds.
Who does Sanari Capital co-invest with?: Sanari Capital most often shares deals with 4Di Capital, ARISE, Convergence Partners, among 4 tracked co-investors.

Images

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