By Modupe Gbadeyanka

A new report from Baker McKenzie has indicated that in the first half of 2021, Nigeria and South Africa recorded a surge in mergers and acquisitions (M&A).

However, Kenya, another key economy in Sub-Saharan Africa, witnessed a slight decline in the period under consideration, according to an analysis of Refinitiv data.

It was revealed that 28 deals worth $1 billion were recorded in Nigeria in H1 2021, indicating that by transaction volume, it rose by 17 per cent and by value, it soared by 267 per cent.

Refinitiv data reveals that domestic transactions decreased by 15 per cent to 11 deals, but deal value increased by 342 per cent year-on-year to $726 million.

Also, cross-border transactions increased by 13 per cent to 17 deals, with deal value rising by 8 per cent to $296 million, with financial companies being the prime targets for inbound deals at four transactions, showing a 100 per cent increase y-o-y and deal value of $10 million, a 327 per cent increase year on year.

Once again, the US served as the primary investor for Nigerian companies, with four deals worth $13 million. The largest inbound deal into Nigeria in H1 2021 was Mwendo Holdings BV’s (South Africa) $182 million acquisition of Blue Lake Ventures Ltd (Media and Entertainment), announced in June 2021.

In a statement obtained by Business Post, the Head of Africa for Baker McKenzie, Mr Wildu du Plessis, stated that while investors from the US have shown interest in Africa for some time, under President Joe Biden, the general consensus is that US engagement with African countries is focusing on strengthening relationships in a strategic, co-operative way.

It has been noted that Mr Biden will continue with successful bipartisan programmes implemented by his predecessors, as well as further encouraging US trade and investment in the continent.

Considering that American companies were the top investors in two of Africa’s largest economies in the first half of 2021, dealmakers are clearly comfortable with Biden’s approach to Africa.

South Africa

The value of M&A transactions in South Africa in H1 2021 amounted to $52 billion, with 169 deals announced in the period. Compared to the first half of 2020, transactions volumes decreased by 8 per cent but deal value increased by 958 per cent in the first half of 2021.

Refinitiv data showed that the volume of domestic transactions increased slightly to 80 deals, a 10 per cent increase y-o-y. Domestic transactions in South Africa in H1 21 were worth $46.7 billion, a dramatic 2,148 per cent increase. Further, cross-border transactions increased 17 per cent to 89 deals, with deal value surging 251 per cent to $5.4 billion.

According to Marc Yudaken, Partner in the Corporate/M&A Practice at Baker McKenzie in Johannesburg, “Despite the excellent start to 2021, the unrest in South Africa threatens to impact the positive strides made in terms of foreign investment into the country in the first six months of this year.

“For the sake of South Africa’s post-pandemic recovery, the turmoil engulfing our country has to be ended before investors are forced to seek less risky alternatives.

“Foreign investors will only ramp up their investments if they are confident their assets are safe. They need political and economic certainty and must have confidence that there is rule of law in the countries in which they invest.”

High technology companies were the primary targets for inbound deals in South Africa, with 12 transactions, representing 200 per cent in deal volume and a deal value of $160 million, an increase of 1,997 per cent when compared to the same period last year.

“It’s no secret that African consumers have shown a growing reliance on technology across multiple platforms, even well before the pandemic struck.

“The growth of the digital economy across the continent has naturally been accelerated by the pandemic and this unabated demand for technology has caused extensive cross-sector disruption, with the financial, energy, transport, retail, health and agricultural sectors all seeking opportunities to expand their tech infrastructure in order to acquire the necessary skills and innovation needed to keep up with demand.

“Fintech is also a popular tech sector for investment across Africa and specifically in South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria, with health-tech, mobility and agritech also attracting growing interest,” Mr du Plessis noted.

“It looks like South Africa is leading the way in terms of high-value deals in the tech sector and we expect this tech M&A trend to continue as the continent gears up to operate in the post-pandemic new normal,” he added.

The United States was the primary investor for South African companies, with 16 deals (an increase of 60 per cent) valued at $496 million (an increase of 340 per cent).

This was helped by TPG Capital LP’s $200 million acquisition of Airtel Africa Plc-Mobile (telecommunications) announced in March 2021. The largest inbound deal in H1 2021 was Temasek Holdings (Pte) Ltd’s (Singapore) $500 million acquisition of Leapfrog Investments (financials), also announced in March 2021.

Kenya

In H1 2021, deal-making in Kenya decreased by 14 per cent with 18 deals in the period and deal value decreased by 96 per cent to $11 million.

Financial companies were the prime targets for inbound deals with five transactions, representing a 150 per cent increase, with deals valued at $11 million, a 78 per cent decrease.

Nigeria served as the primary investor for Kenyan companies with three deals. The largest inbound deal into Kenya in H1 2021 was Liberty Holdings Ltd’s (South Africa) $8 million acquisition of Liberty Kenya Holdings Plc (insurance), announced in March 2021.

In its reaction to this, Mr Du Plessis said the decrease in M&A volume and value in Kenya in H1 2021 is expected to be temporary as the country continues to implement pandemic recovery policies, including a vaccine rollout strategy for the adult population with a planned completion date of mid-2022.

“The country’s reputation as an East African investment hub, in addition to its strong technology capabilities, means that it is just a matter of time before Kenya takes up its rightful place as one of the top target countries for technology transactions in Africa,” he submitted.