By Aduragbemi Omiyale
After the successful competition of its initial public offering (IPO), Alta Semper Capital has exited Macro Group Pharmaceuticals, a leading cosmeceuticals manufacturer in Egypt.
Since Macro Group became a portfolio holding of Alta Semper in 2017, the latter has supported the former in nearly doubling its market share.
Today, its diversified portfolio encompasses 112 products across a variety of high-growth therapeutic areas, with Alta Semper boosting Macro’s top line to $27 million by the end of 9 months of 2021, three times its 2017 revenues, while ensuring profitability and increasing its EBITDA and bottom-line to $11 million and $10 million respectively during the same period, nearly 3x its 2017 levels.
It was learned that shares of Macro Group began trading on February 10, 2022, in a Reg S, 144 A initial public offering under the symbol MCRO:CA on the Egyptian Exchange and the final offer price stood at EGP 4.85 per ordinary share or 2.8 bn EGP (equivalent to $178 million).
The co-founder and CEO of Alta Semper, Afsane Jetha, while commenting on the development, stated that, “We are proud of our successful journey with Macro Pharmaceuticals and its tremendous growth on the financial, operational, organizational and social impact level during the tenor of our partnership.
“It has been a pleasure working alongside such a skilled and motivated management team as they established a leadership position in Egypt’s burgeoning cosmeceutical space, and we congratulate them on their continued success.”
On his part, the Managing Director and Head of North Africa for Alta Semper, Mr Ahmed Rady, who also serves as Vice Chairman of Macro Group, disclosed that, “Since our investment in 2017, we have worked alongside Macro’s relentless management team to supercharge sustainable growth, expand operating margins, and lay the foundations for a more impressive future.
“We have successfully grown gross profit margin from 63% in 2018 to 80% in 9M 2021, grown EBITDA margin from 21% in 2018 to 41% in 9M 2021, and have achieved an impressive EBITDA CAGR of 89% over the period of 2018 to 2020. In an industry that is witnessing transformational growth, we believe Macro Group will continue to shape what is a thriving and rapidly expanding market.”
Alta Semper’s shareholder base has played a strategic role in improving Macro Group’s financial capabilities, as well as its sustainability and governance practices.
The firm’s investors include institutions such as the International Finance Corporation, the investment arm of the World Bank, IDI Emerging Markets, and Mbuyu Capital Partners, in addition to expert individuals such as former Citigroup Chairman Richard Parsons and businessman and philanthropist Ronald Lauder, heir to the Estée Lauder cosmetics company.
“It is gratifying to see this positive investment outcome for a company dedicated to improving quality of life for millions of Egyptians,” said Richard Parsons, Founding Shareholder and Chairman of the Investment Committee of Alta Semper. “We have a longstanding commitment to investing on the African continent for positive change. The success of Macro Group is emblematic of the type of outcome we seek.”
Ronald Lauder, a Founding Shareholder of Alta Semper, added that “Our mission as investors is to advance entrepreneurial activity across Africa in a manner that serves as a catalyst for sustainable development and broadly improves the quality of life on the continent.”
Macro Chairman and Co-founder, Dr. Ahmed El Nayeb, concluded “I am extremely proud of the organization we have built over the last 18 years, from its humble beginnings to becoming the market leader in Egypt’s cosmeceutical space and the first of its kind to go public in Egypt. The IPO marks yet another significant milestone for our business and we will continue to deliver on our vision of regional leadership within the cosmeceuticals and nutraceuticals space.”
Alta Semper has overseen Macro Group’s Environmental, Social and Governance enhancements, which has resulted in increased female workforce representation with women comprising 42% of total staffing and occupying 18% of senior management positions.
Community outreach through Medical Convoys in collaboration with the Egyptian Ministry of Health has directly benefitted over 8,000 patients since 2017. With an eye on Sustainable Development Goals, the Company has been able to deploy training programs outside of the urban centre of Cairo, across more rural areas in Upper Egypt and the Delta.
In tandem, Environmental practices have been improved through energy efficiency initiatives, waste minimization and switching to raw materials with a lower environmental impact. Macro remains committed to enhancing its ESG practices as well as striving to contribute to the enhanced achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals in the years to come.
Learn more at www.altasemper.com.
Adedapo Adesanya 
Modupe Gbadeyanka