Legal clarity behind Africa's boldest investments
Our Corporate group boasts 1,000+ lawyers across 40+ countries, including 20 offices in Africa through DLA Piper Africa, with substantial experience in project managing complex, multijurisdictional corporate activities worldwide. We advise many of the world’s leading and emerging investment funds, companies, and financial institutions.
No other law firm does more M&A deals than we do – either in Africa or globally. This unrivalled level of activity allows us to know what “market” really is and how best to leverage a situation to get the best possible outcome. We offer a truly joined up service, presenting commercially viable solutions to the challenges you may face – the chances are we have seen, lived and supported all aspects of M&A.
Our firm is rooted in executing the highest quality work. We focus on efficiencies and savings only experience can bring – no learning on the job, no re-inventing the wheel and certainly no money for old rope.
Our position as the #1 M&A legal advisor in the Middle East and Africa for three consecutive years, and globally for 16 consecutive years, reflects our involvement in more than 7,000 transactions worldwide, with a combined value of nearly USD1.4 trillion, as reported by Mergermarket. We also hold the top ranking in the Africa category.
Our Africa M&A team
Some of our work in Africa
- Advising Fund for Export Development in Africa (FEDA), the development equity impact investment arm of African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) on its USD300 million equity investment in Africa Minerals and Metals Processing Platform (A2MP), a pan-African platform focused on mining and processing.
- Advising FEDA on its USD75 million investment in Spiro, the leading electric two-wheel assembler in Africa with the fastest growing battery swapping infrastructure.
- Advising Adenia Partners, a pan African private equity firm, on its acquisition of a controlling stake in Kanu Equipment, a specialist in the supply of quality mining, earthmoving, agriculture, construction and road construction equipment with distribution centers across the African continent.
- Advising Checkers on the disposal of its African furniture and related credit business in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho, eSwatini and Zambia to Pepkor for a purchase price of approximately ZAR3 billion.
- Advising Phatisa, a leading African development and PE fund manager, on the sale of a controlling shareholding in Meridian Group, a fertilizer and agricultural commodities company operating in Mauritius and Southeast Africa, to Ma’aden.
- Advising Norfund on its acquisition of a 30% stake in Globeleq Africa, an operating power company focused on developing energy projects across sub-Saharan Africa, including its shareholder arrangements with BII.
- Advising Dogstar Mauritius, a majority shareholder in renewable energy services provider Starsight Energy on its merger with SolarAfrica Energy across South Africa, Mauritius, Kenya, Nigeria, Mauritius and Ghana
- Advising Access Bank on the separate acquisitions of the bank subsidiaries and retail banking operation of Standard Chartered Bank in five African countries – Tanzania, Angola, Cameroon, The Gambia and Sierra Leone.
- Advising SPE Capital on its acquisition of OMOA the leading integrated service provider for the payments industry in West and Central Francophone Africa.
- Advising in2food Holdings (Pty) Ltd on the disposal of 100% of its issued shares to Woolworths Holdings Limited.
- Advising Haier Smart Home, based in Qingdao, China, on the acquisition of Electrolux Group’s complete equity interests in its subsidiary Electrolux South Africa for ZAR2.45 billion.
- Advising Ukheshe International, which provided secured web based payment solutions to clients across a number of platforms, in restructuring its South African and Mauritian operations and the subscription for 25% of the issued shares by ADP III, a UK based private equity fund.
- Advising Shoprite in respect of its acquisition of the remaining 50% of Pingo, the company which administers the on demand delivery logistics for Checkers Sixty60.
- Advising FirstRand on the transfer of the clients, the banking assets and liabilities and the employees of HSBC's branch in South Africa (HSBC South Africa) to FirstRand’s wholly owned subsidiary FirstRand Bank.
- Advising E4 Strategic Proprietary, a specialist fintech company, on its acquisition by a consortium of private equity investors, led by Infinite Partners for more than ZAR1 billion.
- Advising FMO on their co-investment in Red Rocket Holding, as part of the consortium led by Inspired Evolution (through its Evolution III fund).
- Advising two large investors in respect of their equity investment in MellowVans, a South African electric delivery vehicle manufacturer.
- Advising IFC on the USD15 million equity investment in Adumo RF, South Africa’s largest independent payment provider with a presence in 14 African countries. They also own merchant acquirers Sureswipe and Ikhokha and payment processor Innervation Pan African Payments.
- Advising on the proposed acquisition by a subsidiary of Adenia Fund V, L.P. of the entire issued share capital of Minet Mauritius Holdings Limited from the Capitalworks Group (Private Equity Team of the Year at the African Legal Awards 2025, DLA Piper Africa, Kenya, IKM Advocates).
- Advising Centum Investment in acquiring 68% in Sidian Bank through a non-operating holding company.
- Advising ShoreCap II and Progression Capital on its investment in Jamii Bora Bank.
- Advising International Finance Corporation (IFC) in its equity investment in Britam Holdings, a diversified financial services company listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange.
- Advising Proparco on a USD25 million equity investment in the share capital of Sucrière des Mascareignes (France, Mauritius, Tanzania, Kenya).
- Advised Eagle Hills Group on the acquisition of Four Seasons Resort in Marrakech.
- Advising Helios Investment Partners, an Africa-focused private investment firm, on the acquisition of Maroc Datacentre (MDC), Munisys and Medasys, creating 3MDC, a new digital infrastructure platform.
- Advising on the acquisition by Azelis, a leading global innovation service provider in the specialty chemicals and food ingredients industry, of 100% of the share capital of the Chemical Partners group.
- Advising Fipar-Holding, a long-term investment fund, on the sale of its 20.7% stake in Eviosys Packaging Maroc (formerly Carnaud Maroc) to Eviosys Embalajes España.
- Advising DPI in the USD250 million acquisition of 100% of the share capital and voting rights of Solevo Group a leading African distribution platform for chemical products in Africa from Helios.
- Advising Amethis on their joint investment in prolific pan-Africa insurer ASK Gras Savoye alongside Diot-Siaci!
- Advising Amethis on their acquisition of 33.321% share capital and voting rights in company Energy Transfo.
- Advising Helios on its acquisition of a majority stake in a large and diversified group of MedTech companies in Morocco, comprising three entities: Techniques Science Santé(T2S), IM Alliance and Binarios.
- Advising Helios Investment Partners on the USD285 million acquisition of Axxela and subsequently on the sale of Helios's 75% stake in the company (Private Equity Deal of the Year at the 2025 DealMakers West Africa Annual Awards, DLA Piper Africa, Nigeria, Olajide Oyewole LLP).
- Advising Stanbic IBTC, through its investment vehicle BlueCore Gas InfraCo Limited, on the strategic acquisition of 100% of Glover Gas & Power B.V. and 51% of Axxela Limited from HIP Glover S.C.S 1 and Sojitz Corporation.
- Advising Nampak Limited on the disposal of Nampak Cartons Nigeria (a producer ofhigh-quality folding carton products for the tobacco, food and consumer goods segments) to AR Packaging Group AB (Alucan Investments).
- Advised Shell on its acquisition of Daystar Power, Shell’s first power sector acquisition in Africa.
- Advising a syndicate of lenders including a foreign development bank and co-operative society in relation to the USD54 million financing of a Ghanaian bank.
- Advising a syndicate of lenders including an international financial institution and mandated lead arranger in relation to the USD185 million financing and restructuring of financial arrangements of a major power generation company in Ghana.
“DLA Piper displays strong negotiation skills and market knowledge (including of market trends), as well as an ability to anticipate future issues and position the client effectively ahead of time.”
DLA Piper in Africa
Our unrivalled Africa offering is the result of over 20 years of commitment and experience on the continent, combined with long‑standing relationships with leading national firms, many dating back to the 1990s.
These relationships have been brought together under DLA Piper Africa, a Swiss verein comprising 18 independent Africa law firms working with our two fully integrated Africa offices in Morocco and South Africa, and DLA Piper globally.
Our unique level of integration, and aligned operating and governance structures, means you benefit from:
- lawyers who understand the intricacies of doing business on the continent;
- seamless, centrally coordinated delivery of your multijurisdictional matters;
- pan-African insight underpinned by international best practice and local market knowledge;
- a service that conforms with our global standards on quality, conflicts, risk management, information security, confidentiality, sanctions and compliance; and
- our shared approach to knowledge management, pan-African legal training programme, and secondments between our offices in Africa and elsewhere.
A bird's eye view on M&A
Global M&A Intelligence Report 2025
Our market-leading Global M&A Intelligence Report equips you with the insights you need to navigate deals strategically and confidently.
Now in its 11th edition, the report draws on exclusive analysis of our 6,200 private M&A transactions spanning the past 11 years, offering a detailed view of how deal terms, processes, and risk allocation are evolving globally.
Transform tomorrow with our data-driven insights – built to guide smarter moves in a constantly evolving landscape.
