Mark Mobius, Franklin Templeton's talismanic emerging markets investor, is launching a new Africa-only equities fund, in what could be a big fillip to an 'off-piste' funds sector that suffered a big setback in 2011.

Mobius said the time was now right for the African continent. He predicted the region's economies will grow by more than 7% a year over the next two decades, thanks to rising demand for the region's natural resources, coupled with a growing consumer market.