Djalal Khimdjee appointed CEO of the Africa50 Principal Investment Fund

He will lead the Fund through its next phase of growth, scaling a disciplined investment fund that delivers sustainable financial returns

Kampala, Uganda | IAN KATUSIIME | Africa50, the specialist investor in African infrastructure, announced the appointment of Djalal Khimdjee as Chief Executive Officer of its Africa50 Principal Investment Fund (formerly Africa50 Project Finance), effective Aug.1, 2026.

With more than 25 years of experience spanning infrastructure investment, executive leadership and development finance, Djalal Khimdjee will lead the fund through its next phase of growth, scaling a disciplined investment fund that delivers sustainable financial returns, while accelerating infrastructure development and economic transformation across Africa.

He joins Africa50 from Proparco, the private sector financing arm of the French Development Agency Group (AFD), where he served as Deputy Chief Executive Officer, and helped shape one of the leading development finance institutions. During his 8-year tenure, he led strategy execution, investment delivery and portfolio management, contributing to the expansion of annual investments from €1.4 billion to €2.5 billion and assets under management from €5 billion to €7.5 billion

Khimdjee previously held leadership and investment positions within the AFD Group and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), building more than two decades of experience financing infrastructure and private sector development across emerging markets throughout Africa, Middle East, Asia and Latin America.

Reflecting on his appointment, Khimdjee said, “Africa’s infrastructure gap is one of the defining challenges – and one of the most compelling investment opportunities of the coming decades, particularly as the continent is projected to be home to nearly 40% of the world’s population by the end of the century.

Commenting on the appointment, Alain Ebobissé, Group CEO of Africa50, said, “Djalal brings an exceptional combination of investment expertise, strategic vision, and extensive experience mobilizing capital for infrastructure across Africa and emerging markets.

The appointment comes as Africa50 continues to expand its role as a leading infrastructure investor, developing and investing in projects that address Africa’s infrastructure deficit while attracting long-term institutional capital to the continent.