This methodology note outlines the approach used in Stears’ series on Private Company Valuations in Africa, which analyses valuation multiples across the continent’s private capital markets. It details the sampling criteria, data cleaning processes, and valuation methods applied to ensure robust and comparable insights. The note also includes a breakdown of the dataset by sector, region, and other key categories. These details help users better understand the context and limitations of the valuation analysis.
Dataset distribution
The tables below show the distribution of transactions in the dataset by region, sector, profitability bands, and other key themes and categories. This breakdown is helpful because it provides transparency on the underlying data and helps readers contextualise valuation insights, ensuring that interpretations of trends and multiples are grounded in the distribution and characteristics of the analysed transactions.
Data filtering and valuation computation criteria
We applied the following criteria to filter transactions in the dataset to ensure reliable valuation analysis. These criteria
