Alta Semper Capital

Alta Semper, a private equity manager investing flexible and strategic capital across select African growth markets, announced today a partnership with Nigeria’s leading retail pharmacy chain HealthPlus. Under the terms of the agreement, Alta Semper is investing US$18 million into HealthPlus, which will enable the company to expand its retail footprint and enhance its competitive position. Alta Semper specifically invests into market-leading businesses in defensive sub-sectors within the consumer and healthcare verticals. The healthcare and retail markets in Nigeria are characterised by growing demand, driven by favourable demographics, increased consumer awareness and evolving consumption patterns. Furthermore, Nigeria is home to one of the least penetrated formal retail markets in the world, despite its large and growing population. The retail pharmacy sector is highly fragmented, with many independent drug stores and several patent medicine outlets. Furthermore, given structural challenges with the industry supply chain, counterfeit pharmaceuticals find their way into over forty percent of the retail market, while most wholesale and retail sales across the country are still made through informal markets. Moreover, much of the healthcare infrastructure is confined to major cities, with people living in urban areas having approximately four times as much access to healthcare as those living in rural areas.