SouthBridge Group
SouthBridge Group is a pan-African financial advisory and investment firm providing sovereign and corporate advisory plus asset management to African governments, large corporates, and global multinationals, operating from Kigali, Abidjan, Paris, London, and Casablanca.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersParis, France
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What SouthBridge Group does
SouthBridge Group is a privately-held pan-African financial advisory and investment firm founded in 2017 by Dr. Donald Kaberuka (former President of the African Development Bank) and Lionel Zinsou (former Prime Minister of Benin), headquartered across Kigali, Abidjan, Paris, London, and Casablanca. The company operates two complementary segments: a Corporate and Sovereign Advisory practice providing M&A, privatization, sovereign debt, and strategic consulting to governments, large African corporates, and multinationals entering Africa; and SouthBridge Investments (SBI), the asset management arm incorporated in December 2020 that manages multi-strategy investment vehicles including SBNA (permanent capital), the Africa Landscape Restoration Fund ($2 billion with BADEA), and the Energy Go-Getters Fund (clean energy JV with On.Capital).
The firm has advised on transactions totaling approximately EUR 2 billion across more than 15 African countries since inception, with named mandates spanning Government of Togo privatizations (NSCT, Platform Industrial Adétikopé), Rwanda's 2021 Eurobond, KCB's cross-border bank acquisitions, and engagements with Africa Finance Corporation and BOAD. Its proprietary digital product PESAPOA, launched in 2021, is a working capital facility targeted at MSMEs using a gender-smart investment lens, reporting 6,766 unique MSMEs funded, 80,000 loans disbursed, and 42.6% of loans to women-owned businesses.
Revenue is generated through transaction-based advisory fees in the advisory practice and management fees (with potential performance fees) on investment vehicles in SBI. The firm employs 40-50+ staff from roughly 20 countries and distributes services through direct senior-partner-led enterprise engagement supported by thought leadership across major African and international media and conferences. The customer base is a mix of sovereigns (governments, DFIs) and large enterprises, making deal-level revenue episodic, while the asset management franchise introduces a more recurring revenue layer.
SouthBridge Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SouthBridge Group
- Legal name
- SouthBridge Group
- Website
- https://southbgroup.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- SouthBridge Group is a pan-African financial advisory and investment firm providing sovereign and corporate advisory plus asset management to African governments, large corporates, and global multinationals, operating from Kigali, Abidjan, Paris, London, and Casablanca.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SouthBridge Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Investment Banking & Financial Advisory
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Open-End Investment Funds (525910), Funds, Trusts, and Other Financial Vehicles (525)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282), Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Equity Capital Advisory (Private Equity Placements, Growth Capital) (BPAHAOAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Business Services (B2B) Growth Equity (FSANACAD), BaaS Platforms & Sponsor Bank Enablement (FSAGALAA)
Keywords
Where SouthBridge Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Paris
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices5 records
Markets served
SouthBridge Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Financial Advisory Services: Corporate and sovereign advisory services including M&A, privatization, project finance structuring, and strategic consulting. Revenue generated through transaction-based advisory fees.
- Asset Management: Multi-strategy asset management providing investment vehicles dedicated to African markets. Revenue includes management fees and potentially performance fees from investment products.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
SouthBridge Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SouthBridge Group is a pan-African investment bank providing corporate financial advisory (M&A, privatization, project finance, strategic consulting) and sovereign advisory (Eurobond issuance, debt restructuring, privatization) to African governments, large African corporates, and global multinationals. Through its SouthBridge Investments (SBI) arm, it also manages multi-strategy investment vehicles dedicated to African markets and operates the PESAPOA digital working capital facility that provides gender-smart financing to MSMEs.
Product overview
SouthBridge Group operates as a pan-African financial advisory and investment firm with two core segments: Corporate and Sovereign Advisory (providing financial advisory services to governments and corporations) and SouthBridge Investments (SBI), its asset management arm that manages investment vehicles focused on African markets. The product portfolio includes PESAPOA, a digital working capital facility for MSMEs with a gender-smart investment approach; the Energy Go-Getters Fund for clean energy investments; and SBNA, an Africa-focused permanent capital fund. The firm also manages specialized funds including landscape restoration and hospitality investment funds.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- SouthBridge Investments (SBI): The asset management and investment arm of SouthBridge Group, providing multi-strategy asset management services dedicated to African markets.
- PESAPOA
Products and services
- Corporate and Sovereign Advisory
- SouthBridge Investments (SBI) The asset management and investment arm of SouthBridge Group, providing multi-strategy asset management services dedicated to African markets. SBI directly manages investment vehicles and advises clients on investment opportunities across SME growth, financial inclusion, digital innovation, and climate resilience, with a team of over 40 dedicated staff across Africa.
- PESAPOA Digital Working Capital Facility A digital working capital facility that provides gender-smart investment approach to finance MSMEs in Africa, offering non-financial assistance through an accelerator program with coaching, mentoring, and business training. As of latest reporting it has funded 6,766 unique MSMEs, disbursed 80,000 loans, created ~10,149 jobs, and directed 42.6% of loans to women-owned MSMEs.
- Energy Go-Getters Fund A clean energy access investment fund launched as a joint venture with On.Capital, targeting clean energy investments across Africa. Announced at the Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi in September 2023.
- SBNA (SouthBridge North America) An Africa-focused permanent capital fund created in March 2021 through a joint venture with New African Capital Partners (NACP), led by CEO Charles Kié, and managed by SouthBridge Investments.
- Africa Landscape Restoration Fund A $2 billion fund to finance restoration and reforestation projects in Africa, announced in partnership with BADEA (Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa) at COP27 in November 2022.
Quantifiable outcome
- EUR 2 billion in advisory transactions across 15 African countries since 2017
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use SouthBridge Group
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
SouthBridge Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
SouthBridge Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- On.CapitalcoreJoint venture to launch 'Energy Go-Getters Fund' for clean energy access investments in Africa, announced at Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi.
- Africa CEO ForumcoreOfficial partnership with Africa CEO Forum, the largest international meeting of the African private sector.
- New African Capital Partners (NACP)coreInnovative joint venture with SouthBridge Investments, led by CEO Charles Kié, for investment activities in African markets.
- Olam InternationalcoreStrategic partnership for Togo industrial platform development. SouthBridge advised the Government of Togo on partnership with Olam for Platform Industrial Adétikopé SAS and partial sale of NSCT cotton company.
- Shelter AfriqueminorMet to discuss opportunities to expand sustainable housing across Africa and areas of collaboration including fundraising and alternative technologies in affordable housing.
- HomeProductionminorMeeting to explore sustainable housing collaboration using AAC technology with presence in Côte d'Ivoire and Rwanda.
- Brazil Africa Institute (IBRAF)corePartnership to create a platform making it easier for Brazilian investors to access African opportunities. Supports the Brazil Africa Forum as a key business environment for partnerships between the two regions.
- Arise Special Economic ZonecoreJoint venture with Olam subsidiary Arise for integrated industrial platform in Togo, owned 35% by State of Togo and 65% by Arise, with total investment of EUR 200 million.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
SouthBridge Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Lazard: Global financial advisory firm with active Africa coverage in M&A and sovereign advisory. Comparable on large-cap cross-border transactions, privatization mandates, and strategic advisory for African corporates and governments.
- Rothschild & Co: Global M&A and sovereign advisory firm with a long-standing Africa practice. Comparable on cross-border M&A, privatization, and sovereign debt advisory mandates across African markets where SouthBridge also competes.
- Standard Bank Corporate & Investment Banking: Africa's largest investment bank by reach, providing M&A advisory, capital markets, and sovereign services continent-wide. Comparable as a broad incumbent offering overlapping capabilities across SouthBridge's target client segments.
Direct peers
- Phatisa: Pan-African private equity and impact fund manager operating across sub-Saharan Africa. Comparable multi-strategy African fund platform with similar SME/development focus and institutional LP base overlapping with SBI's target investor pool.
- Helios Investment Partners: Pan-African private equity and advisory firm managing multiple Africa-focused funds. Comparable as a competing pan-African advisory-and-asset-management platform targeting similar African Champions, sovereigns, and institutional capital pools.
- Africa Finance Corporation: Pan-African development finance institution providing infrastructure and sovereign-related capital solutions. Closely comparable given shared pan-African footprint, sovereign and corporate client overlap, and the direct leadership linkage (Andrew Alli, SouthBridge CEO, was formerly AFC CEO).
- Development Partners International: Pan-African private equity firm focused on growth investments across the continent. Comparable as an Africa-focused capital allocator competing for institutional mandates and cross-border M&A advisory on similar large-cap transactions.
- Actis: Emerging-markets private equity firm with substantial African infrastructure and growth equity exposure. Comparable for pan-African capital raising, sovereign and corporate advisory, and institutional fund management serving similar impact and infrastructure mandates.
Others
- Afreximbank: Pan-African multilateral trade finance institution providing capital, guarantees, and advisory across African trade and investment flows. Comparable as an ecosystem partner/counterparty for SouthBridge's sovereign and large corporate mandates rather than a direct competitor.
Regional players
- Rand Merchant Bank (RMB): South African investment bank with strong pan-African advisory and principal investing franchise. Comparable for cross-border African M&A advisory and equity capital markets execution for large African corporates and sovereigns.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
SouthBridge Group social profiles
Digital presenceSouthBridge Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SouthBridge Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
SouthBridge Group subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
SouthBridge Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SouthBridge Group M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about SouthBridge Group
What does SouthBridge Group do?
SouthBridge Group is a pan-African investment bank providing corporate financial advisory (M&A, privatization, project finance, strategic consulting) and sovereign advisory (Eurobond issuance, debt restructuring, privatization) to African governments, large African corporates, and global multinationals. Through its SouthBridge Investments (SBI) arm, it also manages multi-strategy investment vehicles dedicated to African markets and operates the PESAPOA digital working capital facility that provides gender-smart financing to MSMEs.
Is SouthBridge Group a public or private company?
SouthBridge Group is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was SouthBridge Group founded?
SouthBridge Group was founded in 2017. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is SouthBridge Group based?
SouthBridge Group is headquartered in Paris, France, in the Europe region.
How does SouthBridge Group make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Financial Advisory Services are the primary driver. The others are asset Management.
Who are SouthBridge Group's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Lazard, Rothschild & Co and Standard Bank Corporate & Investment Banking. Direct peers are Phatisa, Helios Investment Partners, Africa Finance Corporation, Development Partners International and Actis. Afreximbank is listed as an others. Rand Merchant Bank (RMB) is listed as a regional player.
Does SouthBridge Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for SouthBridge Group.
What industry is SouthBridge Group in?
SouthBridge Group's product category is Investment Banking & Financial Advisory. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAOAE, Equity Capital Advisory (Private Equity Placements, Growth Capital), with a secondary code of FSANACAD, Business Services (B2B) Growth Equity. Its NAICS code is 523940 and its SIC code is 6282.