By Nicholas Paler

LONDON (Citywire) - Investec Asset Management is planning to launch an investment trust offering exposure to Africa.

It will hold a variety of asset classes including listed equities, private equity and property, as well as infrastructure.

However the firm said the product was still in the research and development phase and would not be launching imminently.

Africa has stolen the headlines recently, with New Star unveiling a fund investing in the continent, and research by Investec revealed the story in the region is changing rapidly.

The firm cited structural changes which were making it more attractive to investors, such as increasing demand for goods and services, while noting that Africa was also becoming more stable, with the number of countries embroiled in conflicts is reducing significantly over the last 30 years.

Investec already runs two offshore funds investing in Africa as part of its Investec Premier Funds range.

The Africa and Pan-Africa funds, both Guernsey domiciled products headed by Roelof Horne and Chris Derksen, offer exposure to various regions on the continent.

Horne and Derksen will form part of the team managing the new investment trust.

(c) Citywire Financial Publishers Ltd 2007.