Africa Business Partners

What Africa Business Partners does

Africa Business Partners is a privately held, Tokyo-headquartered management consulting firm founded in 2012 by Yukari Umemoto that specializes in cross-border business facilitation between Africa and (primarily) Japan. The firm operates as a boutique advisory practice rather than a software platform; its offerings span four service lines: (i) business matching between Japanese, African, and global investors/companies; (ii) end-to-end market entry support in Africa including corporate registration and HR recruitment; (iii) data-driven market research and strategic support covering consumer research, supply chain analysis, and feasibility studies; and (iv) investment sourcing, M&A advisory, and due diligence executed in partnership with external law and accounting firms. Its proprietary assets center on curated, human-produced research — most visibly the annual 'List of Japanese Companies Doing Business in Africa' — supplemented by local staff presence across offices in Tokyo, Johannesburg, Nairobi, Lagos, Addis Ababa, Abidjan, Cairo, and Casablanca.

The firm targets enterprise clients seeking to enter or expand across African markets. Its historical core is Japanese enterprise (Toyota Tsusho, Honda, Kubota, Toshiba, JICA) but its stated segmentation now also covers European, Asian, Middle Eastern firms and intra-Africa investors (notably South African, Egyptian, and Moroccan companies operating into other African nations). Go-to-market is enterprise field sales via direct engagement, professional networking, referrals from business support organizations (including chambers of commerce in Kenya, Nigeria, and Ethiopia), and inbound leads from the firm's content marketing, social channels (LinkedIn, X, Facebook), and earned media (The Africa Report, Jeune Afrique, Financial Times, NIKKEI, TV Tokyo). Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is described as project-based or retainer consulting engagements; the firm has no disclosed funding, no parent company, and operates independently with 11-50 employees.

Name

Africa Business Partners

Legal name

Africa Business Partners

Website

https://africabusinesspartners.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Africa Business Partners is a Tokyo-based, Africa-focused boutique consulting firm founded in 2012 that advises Japanese, European, Middle Eastern, and African enterprise clients on market entry, business matching, market research, and M&A across 40 African countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Africa Market Entry Consulting

NAICS

Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services (541611), Management Consulting Services (54161), Other Management Consulting Services (541618)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Strategy & Corporate Development Consulting (BPAHACAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Strategic Partnerships, Alliances & JVs Advisory (BPAHADAI)

Keywords

• Africa market entry consulting
• Business matching services
• Japan africa business advisory
• Market research africa
• M&A advisory services

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Strategic Consulting Services: The company generates revenue through professional consulting engagements including business matching with Japanese/African partners, market entry strategy, market research, and M&A advisory services. Fees are likely structured as project-based or retainer arrangements typical of B2B consulting firms.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Africa Business Partners is a Tokyo-headquartered consulting firm that advises Japanese, European, Asian, Middle Eastern, and African companies on entering and expanding within African markets. The firm provides business matching with Japanese and African partners, end-to-end guidance for setting up businesses in Africa (corporate registration, HR recruitment), market research and strategic support, and investment, M&A, and due diligence advisory services delivered through its network of offices across 7 African countries.

Product overview

Africa Business Partners is a consulting firm offering advisory services for business establishment and growth in Africa, particularly bridging African and Japanese markets. Their service portfolio includes business matching with Japanese companies, assistance with setting up business in Africa (corporate registration, human resources), market research and strategic support (consumer research, supply chain analysis, feasibility studies), and investment, M&A and due diligence services. The company operates as a services-based consulting practice rather than a software product platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Business Matching with Japanese Companies Build connections with African companies, Japanese companies, and investors to foster business development, investment, and knowledge exchange. Designed for enterprises seeking cross-border partnerships between Japan and Africa.
• Setting Up Business in Africa Comprehensive guidance and assistance for launching a business in Africa, ranging from corporate registration to human resource recruitment. Targeted at foreign enterprises establishing local operations in African countries.
• Market Research and Strategic Support Data-driven and knowledge-based business and marketing strategy backed by consumer, supply chain, and industry research; exploring local partners and feasibility studies; business reconstruction and Kaizen through mystery shopping, agent monitoring, and customer surveys. Used by enterprises planning market entry or expansion in Africa.
• Investment, M&A and Due Diligence Sourcing of local companies and startups for investment and acquisition; thorough due diligence and financial advisory services delivered in partnership with law and accounting firms. Built for investors and corporates pursuing transactions in African markets.

Quantifiable outcome

• Supported companies from Japan, Europe, Middle East, and Africa to start new businesses and confidently expand across borders since 2012

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and IndustrycoreOthersAfrica Business Partners collaborates with the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry to support business development and facilitate connections between clients and Kenyan businesses. This partnership provides access to a broad network of Kenyan companies and business support services.
• Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (The Industrial Group)coreOthersAfrica Business Partners collaborates with the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, specifically its Industrial Group, to support business establishment and growth in Nigeria. The partnership enables access to Nigeria's business network and facilitates market entry for clients.
• Ethiopian Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral AssociationscoreOthersAfrica Business Partners partners with the Ethiopian Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations to support business development in Ethiopia. This collaboration provides access to local business networks and sector-specific expertise.
• Law and Accounting FirmssupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAfrica Business Partners conducts thorough due diligence and provides financial advisory services in partnership with law and accounting firms. These partnerships enable comprehensive M&A and investment support services for clients.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Dalberg Advisors: Global advisory firm exclusively focused on emerging and frontier markets, including significant Africa coverage. Comparable consulting model serving development institutions, multinationals, and African governments on strategy, market entry, and operational transformation across the continent.
• CrossBoundary: Africa-focused investment and advisory firm providing transaction advisory, market intelligence, and capital raising services across frontier markets. Comparable because both firms combine Africa market-entry advisory with investment/M&A support and rely on local presence to facilitate cross-border deals.
• Africa Practice: Pan-African strategic advisory firm offering political risk, public affairs, and market-entry consulting across the continent. Most directly comparable peer — same Africa-focused advisory model, similar client base (multinationals and development institutions), and overlapping service lines around market entry and stakeholder engagement.

Emerging players

• Tony Blair Institute for Global Development: Global advisory organization supporting governments and investors in Africa on policy reform, investment climate, and economic strategy. Comparable because it advises on the operating environment for cross-border investors and corporates in African markets, though primarily government-focused rather than corporate market-entry.
• JETRO (Japan External Trade Organization): Japanese government-affiliated trade promotion organization supporting Japanese companies expanding overseas, including into Africa. Provides market research and partner introductions at no cost, creating a partial substitute for ABP's lower-end services among Japanese SMEs entering Africa.

Broad incumbents

• Deloitte (Africa): Big-4 firm with extensive Africa and Japan footprints offering strategy, M&A, and market-entry advisory alongside audit and tax services. Competes for the same large Japanese enterprise clients (e.g., Toyota, Toshiba) that ABP serves, but as part of a far broader portfolio.
• McKinsey & Company (Africa Practice): Global management consultancy with dedicated Africa and Japan practices that serve multinationals entering or expanding in African markets. Broader incumbent offering strategy, operations, and M&A advisory with institutional resources ABP cannot match; meaningful competitive threat at the large-enterprise tier.
• Boston Consulting Group (Africa): Global strategy consultancy with active Africa and Japan practices serving large multinational clients on market entry, growth strategy, and M&A. Overlaps with ABP at the enterprise advisory tier but offers a much wider service portfolio and global bench.
• EY (Africa and Japan practices): Big-4 advisory firm with dedicated Africa and Japan teams providing transaction advisory, due diligence, and strategy consulting. Comparable for M&A and due diligence mandates; offers broader service range but less specialized on the Japan-Africa cultural bridge that is ABP's positioning.

Regional players

• Nippon Koei: Major Japanese engineering and consulting firm with a long-standing Africa practice focused on infrastructure and development projects funded by JICA and other donors. Comparable as a Japan-headquartered firm with deep Africa credentials, but oriented toward infrastructure/engineering rather than commercial market entry.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/ABP_Africa
• Facebookfacebook.com/AfricaBusinessPartners
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/17889012

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Africa Business Partners