Sankofa Capital Limited and SJY Advisory have signed a Memorandum of Agreement establishing a structured framework for advisory collaboration across the United Kingdom, Europe and Africa, reflecting broader shifts in how cross border advisory services are increasingly organised in a complex global environment.
The agreement formalises a non exclusive and non binding arrangement under which the two firms may work together on a case by case basis. Any collaboration will be subject to separate written mandates defining scope, duration and commercial terms. The framework does not create a partnership, joint venture or agency relationship and preserves the operational independence of both entities.
Sankofa Capital Limited is a London incorporated advisory firm with a focus on strategic consultancy, cross border engagement and investment intelligence, with particular emphasis on African markets. SJY Advisory is a Paris based boutique advisory firm supporting entities operating across Europe, the United Kingdom, North America and Africa, with experience in legal and strategic advisory matters spanning multiple jurisdictions.
The agreement is intended to support advisory engagements that involve regulatory, governance and institutional considerations, particularly where transactions or initiatives cross national and legal boundaries. Such considerations have become increasingly salient as African economies deepen engagement with global capital markets, development finance institutions and multinational corporate actors.
According to public statements accompanying the announcement, the framework is designed to allow selective collaboration while maintaining professional discretion and compliance with applicable regulatory standards. The firms emphasised that no obligation exists for either party to undertake work in the absence of a clearly defined mandate, and that all decision making authority remains with the client or counterparty involved.
Farai Ina Muvuti, Founder of Sankofa Capital Limited, described the agreement as consistent with the firm’s long term approach to building advisory capacity that is responsive to institutional complexity rather than transactional volume. He noted that cross border engagements increasingly require an understanding not only of market dynamics but also of governance frameworks, regulatory environments and institutional cultures across different regions.
From an African perspective, such advisory models reflect a growing recognition that investment and development outcomes are shaped as much by institutional design and regulatory coherence as by capital flows themselves. Across the continent, governments and private sector actors are navigating overlapping legal regimes, regional trade frameworks and international compliance expectations, including those arising from bodies such as the African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat and global standard setting institutions.
https://www.africa-cfta.org
Steeve Jimbuem Yao, Founder and Principal Advisor of SJY Advisory, stated that the collaboration responds to increasing demand for advisory services that combine strategic perspective with legal and governance awareness. He highlighted the importance of clearly defined scopes and mandates when operating across jurisdictions where regulatory exposure and reputational risk require careful management.
Industry analysts note that non exclusive advisory frameworks have become more common globally, particularly among firms operating across emerging, frontier and developed markets. Such arrangements allow expertise to be combined without creating permanent structural ties that may generate conflicts of interest or regulatory complexity. This trend is observable not only in Africa but also across Europe and Asia, where modular advisory models are increasingly favoured by institutional clients.
From a pan African standpoint, the agreement reflects a gradual recalibration of how African facing advisory work is structured. Rather than positioning Africa as a peripheral destination for external expertise, such frameworks increasingly acknowledge African markets as integral nodes within global systems of capital, governance and regulation. This shift aligns with a broader movement towards African centred narratives that recognise the agency of African institutions, professionals and decision makers within global economic processes.
Importantly, the parties have emphasised that the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement does not signal any specific transaction or commercial commitment. No mandates have been disclosed, and any future engagements will be agreed separately in accordance with legal, commercial and compliance requirements applicable in the relevant jurisdictions.
The agreement also allows for the possibility of collaboration on analytical and editorial contributions, subject to appropriate disclaimers. Any such contributions would be informational in nature and would not constitute legal or investment advice to the public. This reflects a cautious approach to public discourse that recognises the influence of advisory commentary while maintaining clear professional boundaries.
As African economies continue to diversify their international partnerships, particularly with European and United Kingdom based institutions, frameworks such as this illustrate how advisory practices are evolving in response to changing geopolitical, regulatory and developmental contexts. Rather than prescribing outcomes, such arrangements seek to provide structured support for decision making in environments characterised by complexity, plurality and interdependence.
In this sense, the agreement between Sankofa Capital Limited and SJY Advisory can be understood less as a singular commercial event and more as part of a wider pattern in which advisory work adapts to a multipolar world. One in which African perspectives are not ancillary but central to how cross border economic relationships are conceptualised and managed.
