Blue Earth Capital (“BlueEarth”), a global specialist impact investor, today announces an $ 11 million private credit commitment to Rhino Park Holdings (Proprietary) Limited (“Rhino Park”), a leading multi-disciplinary private hospital in Namibia specializing in maternity and neonatal healthcare.

The investment marks BlueEarth’s first private credit investment in the healthcare sector, and the issuance of its second sustainability-linked loan. BlueEarth’s investment supports the acquisition of the hospital by Salt Capital, a Southern Africa focused private equity investment manager. The funding will work to catalyze Rhino Park’s ambitious expansion plans, including the development of a best-in-class operating theatre for more advanced surgical procedures, an innovative primary healthcare center, and new MRI imaging facilities.

The maternal mortality rate is one of Namibia’s most pressing healthcare concerns, ranking second highest among upper-middle-income countries globally.¹³  In addition, neonatal disorders are a leading cause of premature death in Namibia, with 32% of under-five deaths occurring in the first month of life.¹⁴ As Namibia’s second-largest private hospital with a world-class obstetrics department – the nation’s largest – Rhino Park is at the forefront of addressing these critical healthcare challenges in the country.

Beyond immediate patient care, Rhino Park demonstrates its commitment to furthering the nation’s healthcare development by offering nursing student placement programs and providing study loans to its nursing staff. This further upskills workers, ensuring continuity to Namibia’s ability to produce an adequate supply of skilled domestic health workers.

These factors, combined with the sustainability and impact-linked characteristics of the facility, (BlueEarth’s second such loan), work to ensure full alignment with BlueEarth’s dual mission of generating compelling social impact alongside financial returns, and represents a significant step in advancing healthcare accessibility and quality in Southern Africa.

Amy Wang, Head of Private Credit at BlueEarth, comments: “This partnership with Salt Capital represents a wonderful opportunity to transform healthcare delivery in Namibia. By investing into Rhino Park’s growth, we are not just expanding a leading medical center but also helping to build a healthier future for Namibians. We hope that this investment will help provide high-quality healthcare to an increasing number of patients and support the steady improvement of overall health outcomes. Healthcare has long been a priority vertical impact at Blue Earth Capital, and we are very excited to complete our investment alongside these trusted partners. We are also particularly proud to continue driving forward the practice of linking impact with financial return with our second sustainability-linked loan.”

Martin van Niekerk, CEO of Rhino Park, comments: “We are thrilled for the support received from BlueEarth, which will allow us to embark on an ambitious expansion plan that will significantly enhance our healthcare offerings. This funding will allow us to expand our facilities, invest in advanced medical technologies, and increase our capacity to serve our community. Our commitment to providing exceptional, caring, dignified, and affordable patient care to the people of Namibia remains unwavering, and this expansion will position us to better meet the growing needs of our patients and families in the years to come.’’

Jan Bosch, Managing Partner at Salt Capital, comments: “Today marks an exciting milestone for our firm as we close this transaction, bringing together a shared vision and complementary strengths of Salt Capital and the management team of Rhino Park hospital to create lasting value. This achievement is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team, our partners, and all those who contributed to making this deal possible. We extend our sincere gratitude to our debt funding partners, Blue Earth Capital, for their invaluable support and confidence, which played a crucial role in bringing this vision to life. We look forward to supporting Rhino Park to continue on its journey of growth and service to the community and are confident in our ability to drive meaningful impact and deliver strong returns for all our stakeholders.’’

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 Note to editors

About Blue Earth Capital
Blue Earth Capital is a global, independent, specialist impact investor, headquartered in Switzerland, with operations in New York, London, and Konstanz. Blue Earth Capital seeks to address the world’s most pressing social and environmental challenges by delivering measurable impact alongside aiming for attractive and market-rate financial returns. The company operates dedicated private equity, private credit, and fund solutions as well as separately managed accounts. Blue Earth Capital is owned by the Blue Earth Foundation, a Stiftung (charity/trust) registered in Switzerland that focuses on deep impact to support initiatives and business ventures to help deliver a more equitable and sustainable future.

About Rhino Park
Rhino Park is a leading multi-disciplinary private hospital in Namibia with a specialty in maternity and neonatal healthcare. Founded over 30 years ago in 1994, the hospital started out as a day hospital and has since grown to become the joint second largest private hospital in the country with the largest obstetrics department in the country, whilst also being the first hospital to have established one of only two pediatric ICUs in Namibia.

About Salt Capital
Founded in 2012, Salt Capital is a private equity fund manager focused on SME growth capital investments in the sub-Saharan Africa. Based in London and Johannesburg, Salt Capital’s four Partners have built a track record of successful private equity investments with a core focus on the African consumer.

 

Blue Earth Capital media contact:
Kekst CNC
Blueearthcapital@kekstcnc.com