There has been a lack of industry-specific expertise in the African Safari Industry, up to now. The newly-formed Safari Investment Advisory, comprising Kevin Leo-Smith, Don Millar, and Steve Raney, are doing something about that.
Combined safari-related industry expertise, experience, and consummate professionalism is the focus of the Safari Investment Advisory, says Kevin Leo-Smith, a co-founder of Phinda Game Reserve, & Beyond (formerly CC Africa) and Kwando Safaris (Botswana and Zambia).
“By supplying professional advice with industry specific expertise ‒ something currently missing from the substantial African safari industry ‒ we aim to fill the significant gap,” adds Leo-Smith, who also helped establish SFM Africa, a large-scale conservation development project developer with operations in Gabon and previously in Guinea, Rwanda, Zambia and Tanzania.
Safari Investment Advisory offers everything from valuations, mergers and acquisitions, BEE structuring and the full range of corporate advisory services focussed on safari companies throughout Africa. All three partners have been involved with a range of medium and large-scale safari and travel businesses over decades.
Chartered Accountant, Don Millar, founded Clarity, an independent advisory business, 17 years ago after serving as a Director at Bridge Capital and Senior Consultant at Deloitte Corporate Finance. Millar has been involved in numerous safari tourism businesses locally and across Africa in Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Gabon. His personal passion for wildlife and network of industry players, and extensive experience in financial dynamics and funding, makes him a key player.
A recent recipient of the WESSA 90 Lifetime Achiever Award for his contribution to the environment, Steve Raney practices in local and cross-border mergers, acquisitions (M&A), capital markets, private equity, corporate governance, banking and finance, mining, energy and environmental law.
Having achieved consistent international recognition for outstanding work in M&A, environmental and energy law, and with a strong personal interest in corporate environmental law, Raney has done much of the ground-breaking work in regard to the commercialisation of state-owned nature conservation assets as well as the development of the eco-tourism market in South and southern Africa. Formerly an Executive Partner of the Johannesburg office of international law firm White & Case LLP, and a partner in Deneys Reitz (now Norton Rose Fulbright) and at Cliffe Dekker & Todd (now Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr), he now practices in his family-owned law firm with his wife Felicity under the name D’ArcyHerrman Raney.
- More info from the website or call Kevin Leo-Smith at +2772 264 9113 or email at kevin@safariinvestmentadvisory.co.za.
