River Hub · Season One · May 2026· Blended Finance· ESG & Climate· African Capital Markets· DFI Deal Clinic· LP–GP Dialogue· HRDC Eligible · 75% Refund· Hybrid · 15 On-Site · 20 Online· The Philanthropic Foundation · Reg. No. 679· African Circuit · Mauritius Leg· Venue Hire · Up to 15 Pax · F&B Included· River Hub · Season One · May 2026· Blended Finance· ESG & Climate· African Capital Markets· DFI Deal Clinic· LP–GP Dialogue· HRDC Eligible · 75% Refund· Hybrid · 15 On-Site · 20 Online· The Philanthropic Foundation · Reg. No. 679· African Circuit · Mauritius Leg·
Capacity Building Centre · TAF Season One

River
Hub

African capital markets, practitioner-level

The Philanthropic Foundation's permanent Capacity Building Centre in Tamarin, Mauritius — delivering practitioner-grade training in blended finance, transition finance, ESG, and African capital markets to professionals across the continent and beyond.

Register for a course View programme
43
Sessions per year
Across 4 curriculum tracks · May 2026 → May 2027
35
Participants per session
15 on-site at River Hub · 20 live online
75%
HRDC refund for Mauritius employers
MQA-approved via CLBS partnership
4
Curriculum tracks
Blended finance · ESG · Capital markets · Premium convenings

"The only practitioner venue for African transition finance in the Indian Ocean region."

TAF Operating Entity
Operated by The Philanthropic Foundation under the TAP Fund Technical Assistance Facility Operating Agreement
HRDC & MQA approved
Up to 75% of course fees refundable for qualifying Mauritius employers via the national levy scheme
International faculty
London · Geneva · Nairobi · Dubai — delivered live in-room and remotely every session
About River Hub

Where African
capital finds its
practitioners

River Hub is the Philanthropic Foundation's permanent Capacity Building Centre — located at River House, Tamarin, on the west coast of Mauritius. It serves as the primary delivery venue for the TAP Fund Technical Assistance Facility and as an open training centre for finance professionals across Africa and the Indian Ocean.

Every course is delivered by a combination of Foundation-affiliated programme directors, Mauritius-based practitioners, and international faculty from the DFI, fund management, and legal advisory community.

01
Technical Assistance Facility — TAF
River Hub is the designated delivery venue for the TAP Africa Partners Fund TAF — providing project preparation, capacity building, and stakeholder convening mandated under the TAF Operating Agreement.
02
African Circuit — Mauritius leg
River Hub hosts the Mauritius session of the African Circuit — the Foundation's pan-African convening bringing together ministers, DFIs, and institutional investors across five cities each season.
03
HRDC-eligible commercial programme
Courses are MQA-approved and HRDC-eligible via our CLBS partnership. Mauritius-based employers can claim up to 75% of course fees back through the national levy scheme.
04
Hybrid delivery — local and global
Every session runs live hybrid: 15 participants on-site in Tamarin plus 20 joining online from across Africa, Europe, the Gulf, and Asia. Same faculty, same content, fair pricing for each market.
Curriculum

Four tracks.
One destination.

River Hub's programme is structured across four curriculum tracks — each addressing a distinct practitioner need in African finance. Courses run weekly, rotating across tracks so participants can build a complete curriculum over a year without schedule conflicts.

A
Track A · TAF Funded
Blended Finance & DFIs
The mechanics of development finance — how capital stacks work, how DFIs think, how to position a project or fund for institutional capital from IFC, AfDB, BII, Proparco, and beyond.
A1 — Blended finance fundamentals
A2 — How to raise capital from DFIs
A3 — Project preparation & bankability
A4 — Mauritius as an IFC gateway to Africa
A5 — Structuring African investment funds
B
Track B · HRDC Eligible
ESG & Climate Finance
ESG from the investor and capital allocator perspective — not corporate reporting. How institutional LPs screen African funds, how the EU Green Taxonomy applies to African assets, and how the energy transition translates into investable opportunities.
B1 — ESG for African investments
B2 — EU Green Taxonomy for fund managers
B3 — Transition finance & net zero strategy
B4 — Climate risk & TCFD for financial institutions
B5 — Nature, biodiversity & emerging green frameworks
C
Track C · HRDC Eligible
Capital Markets & Governance
How African capital markets work in practice — from the SEM and NSE to private equity, sovereign debt, and trade finance. Combined with the governance frameworks institutional investors require.
C1 — African capital markets for practitioners
C2 — Corporate governance for African boards
C3 — Impact measurement & SDG reporting
C4 — Private equity & venture capital in Africa
C5 — Sovereign & sub-sovereign debt
C6 — Trade finance & African supply chains
D
Track D · Premium Convenings
Premium Convenings
Invitation-only sessions where the value is the room — LP-GP dialogue roundtables, DFI Deal Clinics where project developers receive live panel feedback, and the African Circuit pre-session for ministerial and institutional delegates.
D1 — LP–GP dialogue session
D2 — DFI deal clinic
D3 — African Circuit pre-session
D4 — Year-end investor briefing
How we teach

Not a lecture.
A practitioner room.

Every River Hub session is designed around one principle — you leave with something you can use on Monday morning. No slides read aloud. No generic frameworks. Real transactions, real DFI processes, real deal structures. Click any method to see how it works in the room.

Method 01
Case method
Every session anchors to a real African transaction — a blended finance deal, a DFI co-investment, a renewable energy project preparation. Participants read the case before the session, then work through it live with the faculty as the expert guide. You are not told what happened. You decide what should happen — then we show you the outcome and why.
✓ Real transactions from the Foundation's network and public DFI deal databases
✓ Pre-read distributed 48 hours before the session
✓ Small group discussion — in-room and online participants in the same conversation
✓ Faculty debrief with the real outcome and the lessons that transfer to your context
Example — Track A, Session A2
"You are the fund manager. IFC has just asked for your E&S policy. What do you send them?"
Pre-session
Read the deal summary — a Kenyan solar project seeking AfDB co-investment. Identify what is missing from the information memorandum.
In session
Groups debate the capital structure. Faculty introduces the DFI's actual investment criteria. Participants revise their recommendation.
Debrief
The real outcome is revealed. What the DFI said. What changed. What you would take back to your own deal.
Method 02
Deal clinic
Used in Track A project preparation sessions and the premium D2 Deal Clinic convening. Participants bring their own project — a live deal, a pipeline opportunity, or a structured case — and present it to a panel of faculty, DFI representatives, and peers. The panel gives structured live feedback on bankability, E&S readiness, and capital structure. Not a pitch. A preparation session.
✓ 10-minute structured presentation per project
✓ Panel includes DFI investment officers and legal advisors
✓ Written feedback summary issued within 48 hours
✓ Confidential — NDA signed by all participants
How a deal clinic runs
Your project. A real panel. Structured feedback you can act on.
Before
Submit a one-page project summary 5 days prior. Panel reviews and prepares targeted questions.
Presentation
10-minute structured pitch covering opportunity, structure, E&S profile, and funding ask.
Panel Q&A
15 minutes of structured questions from DFI officer, legal advisor, and transaction advisor.
After
Written panel feedback within 48 hours. Three specific actions to take before approaching a DFI.
Method 03
Live simulation
Used in capital markets and blended finance sessions. Participants are assigned roles — fund manager, DFI investment officer, LP, legal counsel, project developer — and run a simulated deal process in real time. Decisions have consequences within the simulation. The faculty pauses the action to debrief key decision points. By the end you have lived through the deal rather than been told about it.
✓ Role assignments sent with pre-read 48 hours before
✓ In-room and online participants take different roles
✓ Structured debrief after each decision round
✓ Simulation summary and role notes issued post-session
Example — Track C, Session C1
African Capital Markets simulation — four roles, one deal, one afternoon.
Round 1
LP announces allocation criteria. Fund managers compete to structure the most attractive vehicle. Legal counsel flags compliance issues.
Round 2
Market event introduced — currency shock. Teams must restructure. DFI officer announces new conditions.
Resolution
Each team presents their final structure. Faculty scores and debriefs. Participants compare their decision to what real managers did in the same scenario.
Method 04
Expert panel
Used in ESG, climate, and governance sessions where the landscape shifts faster than any textbook. Two or three practitioners with different vantage points — a DFI E&S officer, a fund manager, a legal specialist — debate a live question in front of participants, who then interrogate them. No prepared answers. The disagreement is the learning.
✓ Panellists are active practitioners, not academics
✓ Question set submitted by participants 24 hours prior
✓ Online participants can submit live questions via chat
✓ Session recorded and shared with all registered participants
Example — Track B, Session B1
"Does ESG actually change how DFIs make investment decisions in Africa — or is it theatre?"
Panellist A
DFI E&S officer — argues IFC PS have fundamentally changed project structures in East Africa.
Panellist B
Fund manager — argues ESG screening adds cost without changing outcomes for smaller deals below USD 5M.
Open floor
Participants interrogate both positions. Faculty synthesises the practical implications for the room's own contexts.
Method 05
Workshop lab
Used in sessions where the output is a working document — an impact framework, an ESG screening template, a DFI approach memo. Participants work in small groups on a structured task with a defined deliverable. Faculty circulates and advises. By the end of the session each group has produced something they can take back and adapt for their own organisation.
✓ Groups of 3–4 — mixed in-room and online participants
✓ Template and brief distributed at session start
✓ Groups present their output — peer feedback structured by faculty
✓ All group outputs compiled and circulated post-session
Example — Track B, Session B3
Build a transition finance screening framework for your portfolio in 90 minutes.
Brief
Each group receives a fictional African portfolio of three assets. Task: screen them against the EU Green Taxonomy and flag the gaps.
Lab
60 minutes of structured work. Faculty advises each group in rotation. Online participants collaborate via shared doc.
Present
Each group presents their screening output. Faculty marks against what a real European LP would actually require.
48h
Pre-read distributed before every session
3–4
Group size for workshop and simulation methods
100%
Practitioner faculty — no career academics
48h
Post-session summary and outputs to all participants
Faculty & guest speakers

Practitioners.
Not presenters.

Every River Hub session is led by someone who has done the work — not someone who teaches about it. Our faculty and guest speakers are drawn from the institutions and firms that define the field. Names are confirmed and shared with registered participants ahead of each session.

Season One confirmed
Track A · Blended Finance
Senior Investment Officer
British International Investment (BII)
Over 15 years deploying DFI capital into African infrastructure and climate projects. Has structured blended finance transactions across East and West Africa, working directly with co-investors, project sponsors, and national development banks. Leads Track A sessions on DFI capital raising and project bankability.
Blended Finance DFI Capital East Africa Infrastructure
Season One confirmed
Track A · Track B
Climate Finance Director
Nordic Development Finance Institution
Specialist in climate-aligned investment structures and EU Green Taxonomy application across emerging markets. Has advised governments and private sponsors on transition finance frameworks and green bond issuance in Sub-Saharan Africa. Leads sessions bridging climate policy and investable deal structures.
Climate Finance EU Green Taxonomy Transition Finance Green Bonds
Season One confirmed
Track B · ESG & Climate
Environmental & Social Standards Lead
International Finance Corporation (IFC)
Leads ESG due diligence and IFC Performance Standards implementation for private sector investments across Africa. Works directly with fund managers, banks, and project sponsors to structure E&S frameworks that satisfy DFI LP requirements. Co-leads Track B sessions on ESG for African investments and TCFD reporting.
IFC Standards ESG Due Diligence TCFD Private Sector
Confirming
Track C · Capital Markets
Head of Capital Markets
Pan-African Investment Bank
Senior capital markets practitioner with 20 years across African stock exchanges, sovereign debt issuance, and private equity structuring. Has led IPOs, Eurobond transactions, and secondary market development across East and Southern Africa. Leads Track C sessions on African capital markets and sovereign debt.
Capital Markets Sovereign Debt Private Equity IPO
Confirming
Track D · Premium Convenings
Managing Director, Africa
European Institutional Fund of Funds
Allocates on behalf of European pension capital into Africa-focused private equity and infrastructure funds. Has conducted due diligence on over 40 African GPs and sits on multiple LP advisory committees. Leads the LP–GP Dialogue sessions — bringing the LP perspective directly into the room with African fund managers.
LP Perspective Fund Due Diligence Pension Capital GP Relations
Confirming
Track A · Track C
Partner, Africa Practice
Global Law Firm · Mauritius & London offices
Specialises in fund structuring, cross-border investment vehicles, and regulatory frameworks for Africa-focused funds domiciled in Mauritius. Has advised DFIs, family offices, and sovereign wealth funds on structuring compliant vehicles for African deployment. Leads sessions on Mauritius as an IFC gateway and investment fund structuring.
Fund Structuring Mauritius IFC Regulatory Cross-Border
Names are confirmed and shared with registered participants 10 days before each session. River Hub does not publish speaker names in advance — we share institutional affiliation and seniority so you know the calibre of who you will be in the room with. All speakers are active practitioners, not career academics or consultants.
Session format
Live hybrid delivery — every session
15
On-site
River Hub, Tamarin
20
Online
Africa · Europe · Gulf
same faculty · same content · same session
35
max participants
per session
Fees

Priced for
your
market

Fees are set by location. On-site participants in Mauritius benefit from the HRDC employer levy refund — bringing the net cost to as little as Rs 3,750 per session after your employer claims back 75%. Online participants pay a flat rate with no venue overhead.

On-site · Mauritius
Rs 15,000 per session
In-room at River Hub, Tamarin · HRDC eligible · employer can claim back up to 75% · net cost from Rs 3,750
Online · Africa & Indian Ocean
USD 150 per session
Kenya · South Africa · Rwanda · Madagascar · Réunion and Indian Ocean region
Online · International
USD 350 per session
Europe · Gulf · Asia · Americas
Premium convenings · Track D
By invitation
LP–GP dialogue · DFI Deal Clinic · African Circuit pre-sessions · fees confirmed on acceptance
Season One bundle: Register for 5 or more sessions and receive a 15% reduction across all bookings. Confirmation sent within 48 hours of registration.
Register — confirmation within 48 hours →
Programme calendar

Season One —
May 2026

43 sessions across 13 months. Filter by track to find what's right for you — hover any session to register.

May2026Launch
A1
Blended finance fundamentalsLaunch session
4 seats leftRegister →
B1
ESG for African investments
6 seats leftRegister →
C1
African capital markets
12 seats leftRegister →
Jun2026
A2
How to raise from DFIs
8 seats leftRegister →
B2
EU Green Taxonomy
Register →
C2
Corporate governance
Register →
D2
DFI deal clinicCohort 1
5 seats leftRegister →
Jul2026
A3
Project preparation & bankability
Register →
B3
Transition finance
Register →
C3
Impact measurement
Register →
D1
LP–GP dialogue · Round 1
Register →
Aug2026
A1
Blended finance fundamentalsCohort 2
Register →
B1
ESG for African investmentsCohort 2
Register →
C1
African capital marketsCohort 2
Register →
A4
Mauritius as an IFC gateway to Africa
Register →
Sep2026
A2
How to raise from DFIsCohort 2
Register →
B4
Climate risk & TCFD
Register →
C4
Private equity & VC
Register →
D2
DFI deal clinicCohort 2
Register →
Oct2026
A3
Project preparation & bankabilityCohort 2
Register →
B2
EU Green TaxonomyCohort 2
Register →
C5
Sovereign & sub-sovereign debt
Register →
D3
African Circuit pre-session
Register →
Nov2026Circuit week
D1
LP–GP dialogue · Circuit editionAfrican Circuit
Register →
A4
Mauritius IFC gatewayCohort 2
Register →
B3
Transition financeCohort 2
Register →
C2
Corporate governanceCohort 2
Register →
Dec2026
A1
Blended finance fundamentalsCohort 3
Register →
B4
Climate risk & TCFDCohort 2
Register →
D4
Year-end investor briefing
Register →
Jan2027
A2
How to raise from DFIsCohort 3
Register →
B1
ESG for African investmentsCohort 3
Register →
C3
Impact measurementCohort 2
Register →
D2
DFI deal clinicCohort 3
Register →
Feb2027
A5
Structuring African investment funds
Register →
B2
EU Green TaxonomyCohort 3
Register →
C4
Private equity & VCCohort 2
Register →
C6
Trade finance & African supply chains
Register →
Mar2027
A3
Project preparation & bankabilityCohort 3
Register →
B5
Nature, biodiversity & TNFD
Register →
C5
Sovereign debtCohort 2
Register →
D1
LP–GP dialogue · Round 3
Register →
Apr2027
A5
Structuring African investment fundsCohort 2
Register →
B3
Transition financeCohort 3
Register →
C6
Trade finance & supply chainsCohort 2
Register →
D2
DFI deal clinicCohort 4
Register →
May2027Year 1 close
A1
Blended finance fundamentalsYear 2 opens
Register →
B5
Nature & biodiversityCohort 2
Register →
C4
Private equity & VCCohort 3
Register →
D1
LP–GP dialogue · Year 1 close
Register →
No sessions match this filter.
HRDC Levy Scheme

Up to 75%
back for your
employer

All River Hub courses are MQA-approved and HRDC-eligible via our CLBS partnership. Your company claims the refund — you attend. Share this page with your HR or finance team.

HRDC refund rates
National Training Levy Scheme
75%
Levy ≤ Rs 100k / year
70%
Levy > Rs 100k / year
How to claim

Simple four-step
process

The refund is claimed by the employer on behalf of the participant.

1
Company submits G1 form
Minimum 5 working days before the course start date. We provide all course details needed for the form on request.
2
Attend the session
On-site at River Hub or online. Attendance is recorded — both modes qualify equally for the refund.
3
Company submits G3 form
Post-course, with invoice, receipt, and attendance record. We provide the platform attendance log for online participants.
4
Refund processed
Typically 4–8 weeks. Refund goes directly to the employer. Minimum 3 months of levy contribution required before first claim.
Venue Hire

Bring your team
to River Hub

River Hub is available for corporate hire on days when the public programme is not running. A dedicated, fully-equipped space for up to 15 participants — with catering and F&B included, on the west coast of Mauritius.

The same room used by the TAP Fund's Technical Assistance Facility and the African Circuit. A destination venue, not a generic meeting room. Book for strategy days, leadership offsites, board sessions, training workshops, or client convenings.

Half day · Up to 4 hours
Morning or Afternoon Session
08:00–12:30 or 13:00–17:30. Full room with large-screen TV display. Arrival refreshments and mid-session break included.
Rs 25,000
up to 15 participants · F&B included
Welcome coffee, tea & pastries on arrival
Mid-session refreshment break
Large-screen TV display
High-speed Wi-Fi and dedicated support
Stationery and flip charts
Full day · Up to 8 hours Most popular
Full Day Corporate Session
08:00–17:30. Complete day hire with full catering — breakfast, mid-morning break, working lunch, afternoon break. Ideal for strategy days, board sessions, or multi-session workshops.
Rs 40,000
up to 15 participants · full F&B included
Full breakfast on arrival
Mid-morning refreshment break
Working lunch — seated, catered
Afternoon tea & refreshments
Large-screen TV display
High-speed Wi-Fi and dedicated on-site support
Stationery and flip charts
Parking for all participants
Bespoke · On request
Tailored Offsite Package
Multi-day hire, evening sessions, combined venue and programme design, or use of the space as part of a Foundation-facilitated workshop. Pricing on request.
On request
multi-day · evening · bespoke catering
Fully bespoke F&B — breakfast, lunch, dinner, cocktail
Optional programme design and facilitation
Multi-day and evening availability
Coordination with African Circuit calendar on request
The space
River Hub · Tamarin
15
maximum participants
8h
max daily hire
F&B
always included
AV
hybrid-ready studio
What's included
Everything you need, nothing you don't
Fully air-conditioned boardroom-style room
Large-screen TV display, HDMI & wireless presentation
Live hybrid capability — camera, microphone, Zoom/Teams ready
High-speed dedicated Wi-Fi
F&B tailored to session format — included in all packages
On-site coordinator throughout the day
Secure parking for all participants
45 min from SSR International Airport, Tamarin west coast
Floor plan · Ground floor
River Hub — explore the space
—
River Hub ground floor plan — Tamarin, Mauritius
Hover over any room to see how it is used during River Hub sessions.
Day hire only. River Hub is available for corporate hire on days outside the River Hub programme calendar. Bookings are confirmed on a first-come basis. A minimum of 5 working days' notice is required. F&B is always included — no external catering permitted on site.
Enquire about availability →
The Foundation

Part of something
larger

River Hub is operated by The Philanthropic Foundation — a Mauritius-registered institution (Reg. No. 679) serving as the Technical Assistance Facility Operating Entity for the TAP Africa Partners Fund.

River Hub participants join a network that extends across the Foundation's full programme — from TAP Fund 1's climate investment universe to the African Circuit's five-city series connecting ministers, DFIs, and institutional investors.

Foundation
The Philanthropic Foundation
↗
Programme
TAP Africa Partners Fund — TAF
↗
Convening
The African Circuit — Season One
↗
Location
River Hub
Tamarin, Mauritius
Located on the west coast of Mauritius — Tamarin offers a genuine destination experience distinct from the corporate offices and suburban meeting rooms that host every other training provider on the island. Participants travel to River Hub. They do not just commute.
15 on-site seats · Fully equipped hybrid studio
Catering & F&B included for all on-site participants
African Circuit venue — Mauritius leg
45 min from SSR International Airport
Register

Reserve your
seat

No payment at this stage. Tell us where you are and what you want to attend — we will confirm your place, your fee, and everything you need to participate within 48 hours.

01
You register
Name, organisation, location, track of interest. No payment, no commitment.
02
We confirm within 48 hours
Your place, your fee in your local currency, and — if you are in Mauritius — your employer's HRDC claim guide.
03
You confirm and pay
Invoice issued. Mauritius employers submit the G1 form minimum 5 working days before the course. Your seat is held.
Register interest
No payment required. We respond within 48 hours with your place confirmation and fee.