Bitcoin Takes a Seat at Africa’s Treasury Table in Bold Corporate Move

South African investment firm Altvest Capital Ltd. has announced plans to raise $210 million to purchase Bitcoin as part of a strategic rebranding to Africa Bitcoin Corp., marking a significant shift in corporate treasury management in the region. The firm will hold Bitcoin as a primary treasury reserve asset, positioning it as the first listed company in Africa to adopt the cryptocurrency in this capacity. The move aligns with a growing trend among global corporations to allocate digital assets as a store of value and hedge against economic volatility.

Altvest aims to provide institutional investors with regulated exposure to Bitcoin through equity markets, a structure that circumvents the limitations many pension funds and retirement annuities face in directly purchasing cryptocurrency. By enabling investors to gain Bitcoin exposure via shares in a publicly traded company, Altvest seeks to bridge the gap between traditional financial infrastructure and the growing digital asset market. Founder and CEO Warren Wheatley emphasized that this approach allows South African and African investors to access Bitcoin in a manner that complies with regulatory requirements, broadening the appeal of the company to institutional stakeholders.

To execute the strategy, Altvest will manage its Bitcoin treasury through its unit, Altvest Bitcoin Strategies Pty Ltd., which operates under the authorization of CAEP Asset Managers Pty Ltd. and the supervision of South Africa’s Financial Sector Conduct Authority. The firm is also exploring listings in Namibia, Botswana, and Kenya, in addition to potential international markets, to increase regional and global accessibility. At the time of the announcement, Altvest’s shares had declined 25% over the past year, while Bitcoin traded at $110,942, reflecting a 95% increase year-over-year. The company’s current market capitalization is estimated at around $3 million, and it plans to follow a similar accumulation strategy to that of MicroStrategy and Japan’s Metaplanet, both of which have seen valuation growth through aggressive Bitcoin purchases.

In parallel, corporate adoption of Bitcoin as a reserve asset continues to expand globally, with companies now holding over 1 million Bitcoin. Notable holders include Strategy, which leads with 636,505 BTC, and MARA Holdings, which ranks second with 52,477 BTC. Emerging players such as XXI and the Bitcoin Standard Treasury Company have also built significant positions in the cryptocurrency, reflecting growing institutional confidence in Bitcoin’s role as a reserve asset. This trend underscores the broader shift in corporate finance toward integrating digital assets into treasury strategies, driven by the perceived benefits of diversification, inflation hedging, and long-term value preservation.

Altvest’s initiative highlights the growing intersection between traditional capital markets and digital assets in emerging economies. By leveraging a regulated equity-based structure, the firm aims to offer investors a compliant and scalable avenue to participate in Bitcoin’s potential while navigating the regulatory complexities that often hinder direct crypto investment. The company’s rebranding and treasury strategy reflect a strategic bet on the future of digital asset integration into corporate finance, particularly in markets where such infrastructure is still in development.