Private Credit Advisory for Africa Transactions

Private Credit for Transactions in Africa

Africa deals can clear fast when the credit story is tight and the controls are real. We provide full-scope advisory and placement for private credit transactions across trade, infrastructure, and real assets, including underwriting, lender-ready packaging, targeted distribution, term sheet selection, and closing support. If you want a baseline view of our private credit work, see Private Credit and our approach to trade finance instruments.

We take a transaction from “interesting” to “underwriteable.” That means a defensible repayment source, bankable documents, enforceable security, and a clear control map for cash, collateral, and performance. We match the deal to the right lender profile, coordinate term sheets, and manage the diligence workflow through close. Market context keeps shifting, so we track where credit is actually going and what lenders are prioritising in corporate debt and private credit across Africa. For one credible reference on the direction of the market, see the OECD’s Africa Capital Markets Report 2025 chapter on corporate debt markets.

Full Scope Advisory and Placement

Underwriting

  • Transaction mapping: counterparties, contracts, flows, jurisdictional touchpoints
  • Cash flow and repayment analysis with downside stress checks
  • Security and enforceability review: assets, liens, controls, and perfection path
  • FX, repatriation, and payment mechanics review where cross-border applies

Structure Design

  • Senior secured, unitranche, mezzanine, and bridge options where relevant
  • Borrowing base, inventory, receivables, and contract-backed structures for trade
  • Reserve accounts, cash waterfall design, and covenant practicality
  • Guarantees, insurance, and risk mitigants where the file supports it

Lender-Ready Package

  • Credit memo built for investment committees and approval workflows
  • Financial model and exhibits with sensitivities and covenant headroom logic
  • Data room structure and diligence checklist mapped to lender requirements
  • Clear sources and uses, draw schedule, and closing deliverables list

Placement and Closing Support

  • Target lender list by sector, ticket size, structure type, and jurisdiction comfort
  • Controlled outreach with Q&A management tied to a timetable
  • Term sheet comparison focused on execution risk, not just headline pricing
  • Closing coordination with counsel, trustees, agents, and third parties

Transaction Types We Place

  • Trade and working capital facilities for physical goods, import and export, and repeat purchase cycles
  • Receivables and contract-backed financings with controlled collections and assignments
  • Inventory and borrowing base structures with third-party collateral controls
  • Infrastructure and energy financings where revenue and contracts are documented
  • Commercial Real Estate and operating asset financings with clear cash flow and security
  • Bridge and mezzanine capital for time-boxed closes with defined takeout plans

If your deal sits in trade flows and documentary controls, also see bank instruments explained. For Commercial Real Estate funding, see Real Estate Financing.

Lender Network and How We Deploy It

Africa transactions are not “send to everyone” deals. Lenders segment hard by country risk, currency, security enforceability, counterparties, and operational controls. We run targeted distribution across private credit funds, structured credit providers, trade finance desks, and specialist lenders that can underwrite cross-border mechanics. The objective is clean, executable term sheets and a closing path that holds up under diligence.

  • Matching by jurisdiction, sector, ticket size, tenor, and control requirements
  • Clear credit story that pre-answers the core committee questions
  • Operational controls: cash management, escrow, collateral agents, reporting cadence
  • Coordination through regulated counterparties where lending or intermediation is required

Eligibility and Dossier

Best Fit

  • Defined transaction purpose, amount, tenor, and use of proceeds
  • Verifiable counterparties and documented contracts that support enforcement
  • Clear repayment source with realistic downside resilience
  • Willingness to operate under controls, reporting, and compliance screening

Core Dossier

  • Corporate profile, ownership, and management details
  • Contracts, invoices, shipment or performance schedule, and payment mechanics
  • Financials, bank statements where relevant, and key operating metrics
  • Security package proposal and asset documentation, if any
  • KYC pack for the parties and relevant intermediaries

If the plan relies on credit support instruments, review MT-760 SBLC basics and how Documentary Letters of Credit are structured for documentary compliance.

Process

Intake

Mandate signed and dossier reviewed. We confirm transaction purpose, jurisdictional touchpoints, counterparties, security concept, and closing timeline.

Underwrite and Package

We build the lender memo, model exhibits, and a controlled data room with a diligence checklist mapped to credit committee standards.

Structure and Outreach Plan

We lock the structure, controls, and conditions, then create the target lender shortlist and outreach sequence for a time-boxed process.

Term Sheets and Selection

We manage Q&A and track term sheets. Selection is based on proceeds, covenants, controls, jurisdiction comfort, and probability of close.

Diligence and Close

We coordinate diligence workflow, conditions precedent, and legal documentation with counsel and regulated counterparties through closing and funding.

Pricing Guidance

  • Advisory retainer from USD 59,500 based on transaction complexity, jurisdictional load, and timeline
  • Larger multi-country or multi-asset mandates are priced based on diligence scope and process design
  • Success fees are confirmed in the engagement letter and depend on closed capital and structure
  • Third-party costs may include legal drafting, collateral agent services, insurance, and compliance screening

If the repayment source is unclear, the security cannot be enforced, or the transaction fails compliance screening, the mandate will not proceed.

Request Private Credit Terms for Africa Transactions

Share your transaction summary, counterparties, contracts, financials, security concept, and timeline. We respond with eligibility and next steps.

Include the amount, tenor, currency, jurisdictions involved, and your preferred structure. We act as advisor and arranger and coordinate execution through regulated counterparties where lending or securities intermediation is required.

Request A Quote

Compliance note: all transactions are subject to KYC and AML, sanctions screening, and anti-bribery and corruption policies. We do not facilitate prohibited activity or circumvention of exchange controls. No offer of securities is made.

Financely acts as advisor and arranger. We are not a bank and do not take deposits. Financing outcomes depend on lender approvals, diligence results, legal documentation, enforceability of security, and counterparty performance. Nothing here is a guarantee of funding or closing.