DFS Africa

What DFS Africa does

DFS Africa is a London-headquartered global advisory company founded in 2016 that supports multilateral institutions, governments, foundations, and private companies in transforming African policies and programs into investable projects and revenue-generating opportunities. The company operates two core digital platforms alongside professional services. The Connecting the Dots Initiative (CDI) is a procurement marketplace for essential medicines and health products that aggregates demand and supply, ensures product standards through partnership with the United States Pharmacopeia, optimizes logistics, and integrates blended finance mechanisms. The Africa to the World (A2W) portal delivers sectoral market intelligence, predictive forecasts using big data and machine learning, and deal facilitation across six African market verticals: Agribusiness, Commodity Trading, Energy/Oil & Gas, FMCG, Infrastructure, and Pharma/Healthcare.

The company complements these platforms with two service lines: Strategic Implementation (policy execution, business facilitation, capital raising) and Transaction Advisory (due diligence, valuation and business modelling, deal origination, and capital markets access). Revenue is generated through professional services fees, transaction fees tied to deal execution, and emerging platform-based subscription and licensing income from the CDI and A2W products. The leadership team brings investment banking and project finance experience from HSBC, UBS, Deutsche Bank, Barclays Capital, Lloyds, RBS, and KPMG, and is supported by an advisory board chaired by Kola Karim.

DFS Africa maintains offices in London (headquarters), Lagos, Johannesburg, Nairobi, and Dar es Salaam, with additional market presence in Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire. The company has cultivated 43 partnerships across its six impact areas, with flagship relationships including AUDA-NEPAD (Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Plan for Africa), the Access to Medicine Foundation, United States Pharmacopeia, and the Bank of Industry Nigeria. The firm operates with a lean team of 1-10 employees and generates deal flow and engagement volume that includes 325 engagements in Pharma/Healthcare, 125 in FMCG, and 89 in Infrastructure Development and Financing.

Name

DFS Africa

Legal name

DFS Africa Limited

Website

https://dfsafrica.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

DFS Africa is a London-headquartered global advisory firm serving multilateral institutions, governments, and private companies across African markets. It combines bespoke transaction advisory and strategic implementation services with two proprietary digital platforms: CDI for essential medicines procurement and A2W for sectoral market intelligence and deal facilitation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Management Consulting and Advisory Services

NAICS

Business Support Services (5614), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (5182), Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities (522320)

SIC

Services-Management Services (8741), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Development Finance & Blended Finance Facilities (BPADAOAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

National/Regional Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) (FSABAKAB)

Keywords

• Strategic advisory services
• Transaction advisory
• Pharmaceutical procurement platform
• Market intelligence analytics
• Infrastructure financing advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Strategic Implementation Advisory: Advisory services to multilateral institutions, governments, companies, and foundations to develop strategies and design solutions. Covers policy implementation, business facilitation, and capital raise services. Revenue is generated through professional services fees for bespoke advisory engagements.
2. Transaction Advisory: Full-service deal lifecycle support including due diligence (commercial/corporate strategy, buyer, seller, vendor), valuation and business modelling, corporate governance analysis, deal origination, and capital markets access. Revenue is generated through transaction fees and advisory fees tied to deal execution.
3. Platform Licensing & Technology Services: DFS Africa operates digital platforms (CDI, A2W) that may generate revenue through platform fees, subscription access for buyers/suppliers, and data-driven insights sold to enterprises and governments.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

DFS Africa is a global advisory company that supports multilateral institutions, governments, foundations, and private companies operating in Africa through three integrated offerings: Strategic Implementation (policy execution, business facilitation, capital raising), Transaction Advisory (due diligence, valuation, deal origination, capital markets access), and two proprietary digital platforms — Connecting the Dots Initiative (CDI), a procurement marketplace for essential medicines integrating suppliers, regulators, logistics partners, and blended finance, and Africa to the World (A2W), a market intelligence and deal-facilitation portal covering six African sectors.

Product overview

DFS Africa operates as a global advisory company offering two integrated digital platforms and professional services. The first platform, Connecting the Dots Initiative (CDI), is a health products procurement marketplace that aggregates buyer demand, connects suppliers (especially local manufacturers), supports regulatory bodies with data, and integrates blended finance. The second platform, Africa to the World (A2W), is a business facilitation portal providing sectoral market intelligence, forecasts, and deal facilitation across six sectors (Infrastructure, Agribusiness, FMCG, Pharma, Energy, Commodities). These platforms are complemented by Strategic Implementation services (policy execution, business facilitation, capital raising) and Transaction Advisory services (due diligence, valuation, deal structuring, capital markets).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Connecting the Dots Initiative (CDI): A platform for procuring quality and affordable essential medicines and health products. This novel and all in one platform aggregates demand and supply ensures product standards, optimise logistics and integrate blended finance mechanisms.
• Africa to the World (A2W)

Products and services

• Connecting the Dots Initiative (CDI) A novel web-based platform for procuring quality and affordable essential medicines and health products that aggregates demand and supply, ensures product standards, optimizes logistics, and integrates blended finance mechanisms to connect local and international suppliers with regulatory bodies, logistics partners, and financial institutions. Targeted at pharma and healthcare buyers, suppliers, regulators, and development finance institutions across Africa.
• Africa to the World (A2W) A transaction-enabling portal connecting African businesses to technology, capacity development, new markets, and investment opportunities, offering sectoral market overviews, predictive forecasts using big data and machine learning, growth trend analysis, top-100 player analysis, and M&A and partnership intelligence across six key African market sectors (Infrastructure, Agribusiness, FMCG, Pharma/Healthcare, Energy/Oil & Gas, and Commodities). Targeted at international investors, corporates, and African businesses seeking cross-border partnerships.
• Strategic Implementation Policy implementation, business facilitation, and capital raise advisory services for multilateral institutions, governments, foundations, and organizations, focused on transforming programs and policies into investable projects and revenue-generating opportunities across African economies.
• Transaction Advisory Full-spectrum deal lifecycle advisory services including commercial/corporate strategy, buyer-side, seller-side, and vendor due diligence, valuation and business modelling, corporate governance analysis, deal origination, and capital markets access for clients operating or investing in African markets.

Quantifiable outcome

• 325 engagements in Pharma and Healthcare, 89 in Infrastructure, 125 in FMCG, 81 in Energy/Oil & Gas, 72 in Commodity Trading
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• VIA Global HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 July 2021VIA Global Health and the Connecting the Dots Initiative (CDI) formed a strategic partnership to close the access gap for essential medicines in Africa. VIA Global Health provides its global health supply chain platform and distribution expertise, while CDI contributes its demand aggregation, regulatory integration, and local market knowledge. The partnership combines both platforms to serve buyers, suppliers, and regulators across the African pharmaceutical supply chain.
• AUDA-NEPADflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerDFS Africa partners with AUDA-NEPAD on the Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Plan for Africa, African Medicine Alliance, and Africa Medicine Regulation Harmonisation initiatives. DFS Africa contributes transaction advisory, strategic implementation, and its CDI platform to advance local pharmaceutical manufacturing and regulatory harmonisation across Africa.
• NEPADflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerDFS Africa works with NEPAD (the African Union's development agency) to drive strategic implementation across African economies, with a focus on transforming policies into investable projects and supporting continental initiatives in pharma, infrastructure, and agribusiness.
• Access to Medicine FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDFS Africa collaborates with the Access to Medicine Foundation on improving access to essential medicines across Africa. The partnership supports DFS Africa's mission to guarantee access to quality, affordable health products for populations in Africa, particularly those living on less than $5 PPP per day.
• Bank of Industry (Nigeria)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDFS Africa partners with Nigeria's Bank of Industry to support industrial development and financing across key African sectors. The collaboration leverages the Bank of Industry's development finance mandate with DFS Africa's advisory expertise and deal facilitation capabilities.
• Informa MarketsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDFS Africa works with Informa Markets, a global events and exhibitions company, to co-host and participate in industry conferences that drive deal origination and market visibility across Africa.
• Platform CapitalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlatform Capital, a growth-Stage investment holding company, partners with DFS Africa to identify investment opportunities and co-develop transactions in African market sectors including pharma, FMCG, and infrastructure.
• Bigen GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDFS Africa collaborates with Bigen Group, an international development advisory firm, on infrastructure development and financing projects across Africa, combining Bigen's project development expertise with DFS Africa's transaction advisory capabilities.
• United States Pharmacopeia (USP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDFS Africa partners with USP to ensure product standards and quality assurance within the CDI platform. USP contributes its global expertise in medicine quality standards, supporting DFS Africa's goal of eliminating fake and substandard drugs from the African pharmaceutical supply chain.
• African Pharmaceutical Review (APRA)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerDFS Africa partners with APRA to share and promote pharmaceutical industry research, market intelligence, and insights across Africa, supporting the broader mission of increasing local pharmaceutical manufacturing.
• Asoko InsightminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDFS Africa collaborates with Asoko Insight, a data and intelligence platform for African companies, to provide accurate data and analytics on African businesses and market sectors for the A2W portal and client engagements.
• IntrepidminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDFS Africa works with Intrepid, an advisory firm specializing in emerging markets, to share market intelligence, develop joint transaction opportunities, and support clients entering or expanding across African markets.
• Connecting the Dots Initiative (CDI)flagshipOthersCDI is DFS Africa's proprietary digital platform for pharmaceutical and essential medicines procurement. It operates as an ecosystem integrating buyers, suppliers, regulators, logistics partners, and financial institutions. DFS Africa develops and operates the CDI platform as a core product offering in its service portfolio.
• 54geneminorStrategic or Co-development Partner54gene, an African genomics research company, is featured within the DFS Africa ecosystem. DFS Africa supports 54gene's growth and market development through its advisory and facilitation services in the pharma and healthcare sector.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Tony Blair Institute for Global Change: Policy advisory supporting African government reform and investment delivery. Overlaps with DFS Africa's strategic implementation mandate targeting governments and multilateral institutions.
• Asoko Insight: African B2B data and market intelligence platform for company due diligence and market entry. Comparable to DFS Africa's A2W portal in providing structured African market data and deal-origination signals.
• PharmAccess Foundation: Non-profit focused on improving access to quality healthcare and medicines in Africa. Mission-aligned with DFS Africa's CDI platform and Access to Medicine Foundation partnership in pharma/healthcare.

Broad incumbents

• Deloitte Africa: Big-Four advisory with extensive Africa footprint, providing transaction advisory, M&A, and consulting to DFIs and corporates. Represents a scaled incumbent competing for the same institutional mandates as DFS Africa.
• Boston Consulting Group (Africa Practice): Global strategy consultancy with a dedicated Africa practice covering financial services, healthcare, and infrastructure — overlapping with DFS Africa's strategic implementation and DFI advisory work.
• McKinsey & Company (Africa Practice): Global management consultancy with a long-standing Africa practice serving governments, multilaterals, and corporates. Competes for high-end strategic implementation and transaction advisory mandates across DFS Africa's verticals.

Direct peers

• Genesis Analytics: Africa-headquartered advisory firm providing transaction advisory, economic consulting, and development finance support. Directly comparable in scale, services (strategy, deal advisory, M&A), and Africa-centric client base.
• Bigen Group: International development advisory firm focused on infrastructure and project finance across Africa. Already a DFS Africa partner; directly comparable in infrastructure development and financing advisory services.
• Dalberg Advisors: Global advisory firm specialising in development and emerging markets, with deep Africa presence. Closely comparable to DFS Africa in mission, client base (DFIs, multilaterals, governments), and advisory-plus-platform orientation.

Regional players

• Africa Finance Corporation: Pan-African multilateral development finance institution providing infrastructure and project finance. Comparable as a DFI client/partner and as a potential capital source for DFS Africa-facilitated transactions.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/africa_dfs
• Facebookfacebook.com/DFSAfricaHQ

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

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 DFS Africa