Mackenzie Financial Corporation will launch a new fund on Nov. 17 that will invest directly in Africa and the Middle East—”frontier markets” with long-term growth potential for investments, the company said on Monday.

The Mackenzie Universal Africa & Middle East Class will be the first fund in the Canadian marketplace to invest directly and exclusively in Africa and the Middle East, according to Mackenzie.

“While still in its early stages of growth, we expect the region to be a long-term investment story over the next 10 to 20 years,” said David Feather, president of Mackenzie Financial Services Inc. in a statement.

“The fund also offers excellent diversification benefits, as these markets have low correlations not only to developed markets, but also to traditional emerging markets.”

The fund invests primarily in companies located in Africa and the Middle East or in companies that derive a significant portion of their earnings from the region.

The risk of investing in frontier markets remains high, but Africa continues to undergo vast political and economic reform. This has helped foster more stable business operating conditions and greater competitiveness in world trade, according to Mackenzie.

The fund will be sub-advised by Investec Asset Management, an Africa and Middle East investment firm with more than US$29 billion under management in the region. Portfolio manager Roelof Horne focuses on Sub-Saharan equities, and Amr Seif focuses on Middle Eastern & North African equities.

Both portfolio managers have 14 years of investment experience in their respective regions, and rely on the expertise of 50 locally based investment professionals with Investec who monitor macroeconomic and emerging trends for investment ideas.

“When investing in frontier markets, it’s important to think globally, then hire locally,” said Feather. “The fund has investment experts on the ground in Africa and the Middle East who are knowledgeable about the political, economic, societal and currency risks that can affect the region. This knowledge gives them an edge investing in markets that are, on the whole, not necessarily well understood by many investors.”

Mackenzie Universal Africa & Middle East Class targets investors looking for capital appreciation who have a high risk tolerance and a longer-term investment horizon. The fund is available in both Canadian and U.S. dollar versions.