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Serengeti Capital
Serengeti Capital is a leading Accra-based merchant bank focused on sub-Saharan Africa.
Serengeti Capital
Serengeti Capital is a leading Accra-based merchant bank focused on sub-Saharan Africa. Our local presence, combined with extensive regional networks, provides us with a distinct advantage in sourcing, structuring, and executing transactions. Serengeti affiliates are licensed by the Bank of Ghana, and the Securities and Exchange Commission of Ghana, ensuring that we operate to the highest regulatory standards. In July 2015, Serengeti Capital acquired NewWorld Securities, a licensed dealing member of the Ghana Stock Exchange. Renamed Serengeti Capital Markets (SCM), the firm brings a track record of landmark transactions, including: - Advising Ghana on its first Eurobond issuance in 2007. - Leading the initial public offering of Ecobank on the Ghana Stock Exchange. - Advising on the first hostile takeover of a Ghana Stock Exchange-listed company. SCM is also licensed by the Bank of Ghana as a Foreign Exchange Broker on the Ghana Interbank Forex Market, offering clients expertise in currency markets alongside equities and fixed-income trading. Serengeti Capital is the lead investor in select control investment opportunities, guided by a deep-value philosophy. Our current portfolio includes African Champion Industries, Clark Sustainable Resource Developments, Kete Krachi Timber Recovery, Serengeti Forests, and Vida e Caffè (Ghana). Our principals bring over 75 years of combined operational, advisory, and investment experience. Based in the markets where we invest, and committing significant personal capital alongside our clients, we are positioned to identify and execute exceptional opportunities shaped by industry trends, economic cycles, and company-specific transformations. Serengeti Capital offers corporate finance advisory services across the spectrum, from restructuring, to fundraising, to acquisitions and disposals with an extensive network of regulatory, governmental, and corporate relationships.
General information
Firm type
Private Equity
Year founded
—
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
Africa
Country
Ghana
City
Accra
Corporate office
Accra, Ghana
Principals
Elkin Pianim
Co-founder
Francis Kalitsi
Co-founder
Tanya Malhotra
Director
Richmond Agbesi
Head of Finance
Enoch Nketiah Asamoah
Finance & Investment Specialist
Dionne Adofoly
Head of Currency Brokerage
Kofi Labi
Senior Analyst
Franklin Tay
Lead Account Manager
William Tettey
Chief Accountant
Jennifer Adjei
Head of Compliance & AMLRO
Samuel Aidoo
Head of Finance
Nicholas Gyan
Investment Analyst
Portia Gyeke Anim
Executive Assistant
Frequently asked questions
How does Serengeti Capital structure its investment activities?
Serengeti operates as a merchant bank rather than a conventional private equity fund. Its affiliates carry licenses from the Bank of Ghana, the Securities and Exchange Commission of Ghana, the National Pensions Regulatory Authority, and the Financial Services Commission of Mauritius. This regulatory stack allows the firm to provide advisory services, manage pension mandates, and conduct principal investments under one roof, including spot and forward currency brokerage through its in-house desk.
Which investment strategies does Serengeti Capital pursue?
The firm targets early-stage seed and start-up ventures, expansion and late-stage growth equity, co-investments, and complex or special-situation mandates. Its listed strategy set suggests a mandate that can pivot between minority venture exposure and control-oriented or restructuring deals, though it has not publicly broken out committed capital by strategy.
Does Serengeti Capital operate as a family office or an institutional manager?
Serengeti is not structured as a family office. It is an institutional merchant bank regulated by Ghanaian and Mauritian financial authorities that services pension funds, corporate clients, and cross-border investors active in sub-Saharan Africa. The firm does not disclose a single-family or multi-family wealth origin.
What is Serengeti Capital’s geographic focus?
Serengeti concentrates on sub-Saharan Africa, with its headquarters in Accra, Ghana, and a regulatory presence in Mauritius. The combination allows execution in both West African markets and the Mauritius-based fund and holding-company structures common among institutional investors targeting Africa.
Who runs investment decisions at Serengeti Capital?
Co-founders Elkin Pianim and Francis Kalitsi lead the firm, supported by a Director, Tanya Malhotra, and functional heads covering finance, compliance, currency brokerage, and investment analysis. The website does not specify a formal investment committee structure, but the co-founders’ central role implies decision-making sits with the senior-most principals.
Has Serengeti Capital disclosed any portfolio companies or deal examples?
No. The firm has not published a portfolio roster, individual deal descriptions, or closed-transaction press releases on its current website. All strategy and sector information is inferred from the posted mandate and team roles rather than from verified exits or holdings.
Is Serengeti Capital legally permitted to manage Ghanaian pension assets?
Yes. A Serengeti affiliate is licensed by the National Pensions Regulatory Authority of Ghana, meaning it can serve as an investment manager or advisor to Ghanaian pension funds under the domestic regulatory framework. The license is separate from its SEC and Bank of Ghana registrations.
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