Neda Vakilian coverage in Infrastructure Investor: The Global South

In Infrastructure Investor, Neda Vakilian, Head of the Capital Solutions Group at Actis, discusses the investment opportunity in the Global South as part of the publication’s Mid-Market report and why a gap between perceived and actual risk in growth markets is creating what we believe to be compelling opportunities for investors.

In the article, Neda highlights what she describes as a profound mismatch between perception and reality in growth markets investing. While the growth markets can be viewed as disproportionately risky, the piece notes that default data and long-term economic growth projections point to a more nuanced picture, with investors potentially overlooking significant opportunities.

The article explores how investor scepticism is shaped by concerns around climate vulnerability, geopolitical instability and market dislocation. At the same time, it argues that these conditions can create an attractive entry point for mid-market investors who have the capability to work closely with regional champions and platforms, strengthen governance and risk management, and professionalise operating models.

Neda also explains that investing successfully in these markets requires a disciplined and deliberate approach to risk management. In the piece, she notes that Actis focuses on engineering returns rather than relying on favourable conditions, including through prioritising contracted revenue and long-term agreements that support predictable cashflows.

Click here to read the full article online and here to read it in the digital edition of the print magazine, and read on below for a snippet of Neda’s commentary.

Neda Vakilian, Head of the Capital Solutions Group at Actis, commented:

“We never ‘hope’ for returns at Actis [in the Global South] – we engineer them. We make projects viable by prioritising contracted revenue, for example long-term power purchase agreements with creditworthy off takers to create predictable cashflows.”

Disclaimer

The statements contained herein by Neda Vakilian regarding mid-market capital are as of 1 April 2026 and represent the views of Actis or the source cited which is not research and should not be treated as research. Moreover, there is no assurance historical trends will continue. Historic market trends are not reliable indicators of actual future market behaviour or future performance of any particular investment which may differ materially and should not be relied upon as such.