Sanari Celebrates 10 Years: A Leap of Faith from Chicago’s Skies by Samantha Pokroy

By Samantha Pokroy

Where did it all begin?

On November 5, 2013, I found myself on the top floor of a Chicago skyscraper, ready to pitch to one of the city’s financial powerhouses—the Pritzker family’s PSP Capital. The boardroom boasted floor-to-ceiling glass, offering a breath-taking view of Chicago’s skyline—a more-than-fitting setting to launch a bold idea for private equity geared for these times.

The mission was clear: pitch myself and this brand-new investment firm focused on investments in South Africa and the rest of the continent to an investor with no meaningful exposure in the region. The challenge was formidable. Whilst I had 10 years of private equity investment experience from the leading Africa private equity house, I had no track record of my own. Additionally, South Africa was grappling with economic difficulties, compounded by political uncertainties with Jacob Zuma at the helm.

After four intense hours of pitching, the outcome was not what was hoped for. Yet, in the face of apparent failure, the experience proved invaluable. The obstacle wasn’t just the economic climate or my investment experience; it was the realisation that the minimum deployment volumes required by PSP Capital were beyond my comprehension at that time and would inevitably take me off-strategy.

The rejection wasn’t a closed door but rather an open window to growth (ChatGPT completely gave me that one!). What better way to launch my business than trial by fire, where questions were fired, strategies dissected, and track records scrutinized.

Just one month earlier, I had resigned from my corporate private equity job with a singular ambition—to build something meaningful. The trip to Chicago became the clarifying milestone I needed to shape my vision. I knew I needed more than financial engineering and operational value-add; I needed a unique angle. That angle became clear—unlocking value in founder-run, owner-managed and family-owned businesses.

Once I had my investment strategy, I needed a name, a business card, a logo, a website, a pitch deck. Working feverishly in my home office amidst intoxicating opportunity (my own!) and my young children, Sanari Capital was born. Much of who we are today was formulated in that one month before the monumental 5th November meeting. And much of what evolved after was in response to key critical lessons learnt early on from this unique experience.

Moral of this story: take the leap, use deadlines as a tool for focus, say no when opportunities don’t align with your strategy (always), transform setbacks into stepping stones and dream (and act) big and bold.