NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 20 – East Africa’s mergers and acquisitions (M&A) market remained active in 2025, with top firms and advisers recognised at the DealMakers AFRICA Annual Gala in Nairobi.
The awards, which track advisory activity by deal value and volume, point to sustained investor interest across the region despite a challenging global economic environment.
The largest transaction was Vodacom’s acquisition of an additional 20 percent stake in Safaricom valued at $2.1 billion. The deal increased Vodacom’s shareholding to 55 percent.
In private equity, LeapFrog Investments’s exit from Goodlife Pharmacy was ranked the top deal.
Richard Harney was named DealMaker of the Year for advising on multiple transactions, including Diageo’s divestment from East African Breweries.
Among advisers, Absa led in M&A by deal value, while Stanbic Bank and I&M Burbidge Capital topped activity rankings.
In legal advisory, ENS and Bowmans ranked highly across both value and volume categories.
The DealMakers AFRICA platform, launched in 2008, tracks corporate finance and M&A activity across the continent.
