Africa’s dealmakers bet on IPO wave
Dangote’s $5B refinery IPO could anchor a flurry of listings and M&A — and test whether Africa can turn renewed dealmaking into deeper, more liquid markets.
Africa's capital markets are poised for a significant shift, with dealmakers anticipating a wave of Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) and mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity. The Dangote Petroleum Refinery, a $5 billion project anticipated to be Africa's largest-ever listing, is expected to kickstart the new phase. The listing, which still requires regulatory approval, has generated considerable excitement, as highlighted by Yemisi Deji-Bejide, head of M&A for Africa at Standard Chartered.
The Dangote IPO demonstrates the continent's growing capacity to develop and finance large industrial enterprises following years of sluggish activity. While the listing will primarily occur in Lagos, it is being marketed to investors across the continent. Azevedo, head of investment banking at Citigroup, believes that the size of this single transaction could change the landscape of African capital markets.
Other sectors, such as technology and telecommunications, are also showing signs of increased transaction activity. Additionally, M&A deals are on the rise, including Diageo's $2.3 billion sale of its East African beer business to Asahi and Nedbank's $855 million acquisition of a controlling stake in Kenya's NCBA Group. These deals are being facilitated by a more favorable economic environment and private-equity firms finding new exit opportunities.
However, the recent market activity is still concentrated in a few large transactions, and experts caution that broader market depth and liquidity are yet to be established.
Written by urgent.news from Semafor's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
