Clairfield International, a top-ranked Europe-based global corporate finance partnership, and Rand Merchant Bank (RMB), a division of FirstRand Bank Limited (part of FirstRand Limited, the largest financial services group by market capitalisation in Africa), are delighted to announce that they formally agreed to partner, marking both firms’ commitment to global expansion and delivery of top-quality corporate finance advisory solutions for clients.

This partnership will position RMB as the gateway for Clairfield clients into South Africa, Nigeria, and the broader sub-Saharan African market, while Clairfield opens doors for RMB into Europe, the Americas, and the Asia-Pacific region. Following from Clairfield’s successful partnership with top Japanese advisory firm Yamada Consulting in 2023 that covers Japan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, this new access to sub-Saharan Africa creates unparalleled coverage for midmarket corporate, private equity, and family business clients worldwide.

Clairfield International advises entrepreneurs, multinational corporations, and financial investors on M&A and other corporate finance solutions with special expertise in crossborder situations through over 30 country teams globally. Clairfield International has completed 780 transactions on behalf of clients in the last five years totalling EUR 30 billion in disclosed deal value.

“We are optimistic about Africa’s long-term growth, driven by technology, the high demand for infrastructure and rapid urbanisation, and we are eager to explore business opportunities across the continent. RMB has a corporate finance team of over 70 people, and with their reach and expertise on the ground, Clairfield can vastly expand its client offerings across sub-Saharan Africa,” says Alexander Klemm, executive chair of the Clairfield board of directors. “This partnership is a transformative step for both firms, enhancing our global footprint. Together we can access exciting global deal flow, buyers, and investors for our clients.”

RMB’s award-winning corporate finance team partners local and global clients offering differentiated advice and innovative thinking on strategic topics as well as access to capital to enable their growth ambitions.  RMB Corporate Finance has an unrivalled track record in corporate finance advisory in sub-Saharan Africa and is consistently the top-ranked advisor in the league tables in South Africa and Nigeria.

“This partnership underscores our commitment to building an M&A advisory capability that is internationally relevant to our clients,” says Krishna Nagar, co-head of corporate finance at Rand Merchant Bank. “The increase in M&A activity across Africa positions us favourably with companies seeking global opportunities and expertise. Our collaboration with Clairfield has already proven fruitful as interest from Clairfield clients is evident in our mandates. We look forward to a continued partnership and access to Clairfield’s expertise in developing and facilitating that global deal flow.”