THE CATALYTIC TRUST FUND (CTF ) OF THE SOUTHERN AGRICULTURAL GROWTH CORRIDOR OF TANZANIA EXPRESSION OF INTEREST FOR INDIVIDUALS TO SERVE AS MEMBERS OF THE CTF BOARD

The Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor of Tanzania (SAGCOT)* is a public private partnership to stimulate responsible and sustainable commercial agricultural development in the southern corridor of Tanzania, an area encompassing 7.5 million hectares of arable land extending from the port of Dar es Salaam to the country’s borders with Malawi, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The SAGCOT Catalytic Trust Fund (CTF) is an innovative financing mechanism for SAGCOT that was created in response to the challenges of catalysing private sector investment in commercially and financially viable agribusinesses. It targets smallholder linkages along the value chain with an overall objective to provide the initial financing of developing commercially viable agricultural businesses that incorporate smallholders. The CTF will combine both high developmental impacts with commercial viability in order to leverage private sector investment. The Catalytic Trust Fund will have two investment windows: The Matching Grants Fund (MGF) and the Social Venture Capital Fund (SVCF). Pledges have been received for the majority of the US $ 100 million in initial financing for the CTF.

It is against this background that the Partnership Council invites highly experienced and motivated candidates to express interest in becoming members of the Catalytic Trust Fund Board of Trustees. Specifically the Partnership Council is seeking to fill one (1) position for the Board Chairperson and four (4) positions for the members of the Board Trustees. The ideal candidates should have a strong empathy with the mission to improve the lives of the smallholders’ farmers in Africa generally and specifically in Tanzania.
Candidates should have most or all of the following experience: (i) held a senior position in the agriculture and/or financial services sectors, ; (ii) a successful track record of developing and closing international agribusiness projects or raising capital for investment; (iii) excellent contacts and relationships in the agricultural and financial sectors; (iv) previous participation in credit decisions for agribusiness investment projects; equity investments or agricultural banking; (v) experience in management of agricultural development programs that have a direct impact on the development of emergent agribusinesses, commercially orientated smallholders and rural communities; (v) experience of participating in a multi-stakeholder, public-private partnership with joint commercial and developmental goals.

The Board shall comprise individuals of diverse backgrounds; qualified women candidates are encouraged to apply. The Trustees shall be appointed for a term of up to three (3) years renewable and shall hold at least four (4) ordinary meetings in each year. The Trustees shall be paid an annual trustee’s fee.

Interested candidates should send their brief expression of interest together with their most recent resume by email to SAGCOTCTF@DEVAFRICA.COM by midnight 22nd March 2013 Dar es Salaam time. *for more background information on SAGCOT visit www.sagcot.com