Food Fund 3 reached a $86m first close in February 2026, directing fresh capital towards African food-system businesses where productivity, resilience and commercial viability are closely connected.
Sub-Saharan African cereal yields average 1.6 tonnes per hectare against a global average of 4.2, while post-harvest losses reach 40 percent. Phatisa's investment approach addresses these constraints across inputs, production, storage, processing, packaging, logistics and food service, with an emphasis on raising efficiency within existing agricultural systems.
Zaad Group, a South African agricultural-inputs investment holding company acquired with management and institutional co-investors, became Food Fund 3's first signed transaction. Its seed breeding, production, distribution and crop-protection operations address upstream constraints affecting farmers across the continent. This focus reflects a strategy grounded in operational bottlenecks, where improved access to inputs can strengthen both food supply and investable business performance.
At Java House Africa, Phatisa's East African restaurant and coffee business in Food Fund 2, nearly 100 outlets serve more than 5.5m meals annually and source over 90 percent of products locally. Technical assistance supported work with Kenyan smallholder coffee suppliers and helped replace imported tomato ketchup with a locally produced alternative, creating a wider market opportunity for the Kenyan supplier.
Food Fund 2 had returned approximately 40 percent of invested capital following 2 exits by February 2026, while Phatisa has recorded impact across more than 122,000 smallholders through its 2 food funds. Climate-risk assessments, emissions baselines and decarbonisation pathways, including a net-zero-by-2050 objective, bring measurable discipline to ownership.
This combination of specialist capital, local execution and impact measurement provides a credible response to Africa's food-security pressures. The Capital Finance International (CFI.co) Judging Panel congratulates Phatisa on winning the Champion of Sustainable Food Value Chain Investing 2026 Award (Africa).