Smart Africa Media interview with Zion Adeoye, Managing Director at Centurion Law Group, South Africa
NAIROBI, Kenya: Centurion International AG (CIAG), a rapidly growing pan-African services group active in business advisory between Germany and the African continent, recently announced the successful listing of its shares on the Open Market (allgemeiner Freiverkehr) of the Düsseldorf Stock Exchange, Germany.
The listing of CIAG on a German stock exchange marks the only listing of an African-focused services firm in Germany, offering German capital markets and European institutional investors the opportunity of directly participating in the African growth story.
Elvis Mboya, Founder and Managing Editor of Smart Africa Media asked Zion Adeoye, Managing Director at Centurion Law Group, South Africa to take readers inside this Africa’s success story.
What’s so special about your firm being listed on the German Stock Exchange?
This listing opens a huge market for us. It offers a platform to expand our international presence. We are attracted to the GSE for its deep markets, great investor community and very well-regulated exchange. It not only benefits us but also allows German investors a good opportunity to participate in the income and capital growth of the company and participate in Africa’s vast economic upside potential.
How best will you use the new listing to enhance international investment and collaboration between Africa and Germany and within Africa’s diverse economy?
We are for one, looking at acquiring small and mid-sized advisory firms in diverse sectors like energy, (green) hydrogen and technology, these would be firms that are valuable but may not have the cash injection or high-level management to really drive them to succeed internationally. We will also be bringing the much-needed financing to drive revolutionary projects back home that benefits the economy. Subsequently we are building a stronger African narrative showing the world that African companies are investible and most importantly, we do generate high return on investments.
Take us inside the shareholding cake including your firm’s stake now that it will also be owned by employees and the public.
Yes, as a predominantly employee and publicly owned company, we have now positioned ourselves as belonging to everyone. We now have the financing as well as institutional backing to acquire small and medium-sized advisory firms. We have the capital to make more investment into Africa’s economy than ever before. With a firm belief in free market capitalism and market driven ideas and backed by a wealth of experience in the energy and legal landscape, we plan on expanding business and project development, both continentally and globally.
Please share with us on how Centurion International AG’s ‘lawyer on demand’ business model works – its success stories and how challenges are mitigated.
The model provides flexible legal services with on-demand lawyers that work with clients both remotely and on-site tailor-made for their specific needs as a subcontractor of Centurion Clients benefit by having access to experienced and specialized lawyers without the weight and expense of a traditional firm. The model has proved successful for African businesses, state companies and legal departments as they have access to the top attorneys around Africa and in the diaspora. Internationally, it has provided foreign investors with support in navigating the tax, regulatory and litigation requirements needed to do business in Africa
In your presser reacting to the new listing you said that Centurion’s growth strategy has been clearly defined as a result of the listing. Tell us more about this strategy?
Moving forward, we are looking at doubling and potentially tripling the size of our company in the coming 15 to 18 months, we already have our office in Frankfurt, Germany and we want to expand into more European and African cities. As our client portfolio is expected to significantly expand, we plan on cementing ourselves in the forefront of driving transition in the energy space by accessing many ESG compliant co-investment deals not only across gas, but in hydrogen, infrastructure, renewables and related technology
