–

The global trade and investment advisory firm credits strategic partnerships, including a landmark collaboration with GIZ Kenya, for driving unprecedented SME financial inclusion.

NAIROBI, Kenya — Lion Brick Capital (LBC) Global, a premier international trade and investment advisory firm, has announced a record-breaking year for market entry facilitation across East Africa, signaling a major vote of confidence in the region’s economic resilience.

As global investors increasingly look toward the continent’s demographic dividend and the maturing African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), LBC reported a 40% year-over-year increase in successful foreign direct investment (FDI) placements and joint venture formations in Kenya, Rwanda, and Tanzania throughout 2025 and the first half of 2026.

Capitalizing on this momentum, the firm announced on Monday its strategic roadmap for 2027, which includes a major expansion into North and West African markets, specifically targeting Morocco, Nigeria, and Ghana.

Bridging the SME Financing Gap A cornerstone of LBC’s East African success has been its pivot toward grassroots economic empowerment, moving beyond traditional corporate advisory to support the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that form the backbone of the regional economy.

To achieve this, LBC recently formalized a strategic partnership with GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit) Kenya. The collaboration focuses heavily on the “SME Financial Access” program, an initiative designed to bridge the continent’s pervasive credit gap.

According to recent World Bank data, while SMEs account for roughly 80% of employment in Sub-Saharan Africa, they face a financing deficit exceeding $150 billion.

“Through our partnership with GIZ Kenya, we are not just advising multinational corporations on how to enter the market; we are actively restructuring how local SMEs access capital,” said a Managing Partner at LBC Global. “By combining GIZ’s deep developmental expertise with LBC’s global investment networks, we are helping local businesses become ‘investment-ready,’ unlocking blended finance facilities, and connecting them with international impact investors.”

The 2027 Expansion Strategy With East Africa now serving as a highly successful beachhead, LBC Global is preparing to scale its advisory footprint across the rest of the continent in 2027.

The firm’s expansion into North Africa will focus on Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia, leveraging their strategic positions as manufacturing and logistics gateways between Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. Meanwhile, the West African push will center on Nigeria and Ghana, targeting the region’s booming tech ecosystems, renewable energy sector, and vast consumer markets.

“East Africa has proven that when you pair rigorous regulatory navigation with localized capacity building, the returns for global investors are substantial,” the LBC Managing Partner noted. “In 2027, we will apply this exact blueprint to the complex, high-reward markets of North and West Africa. The AfCFTA is no longer just a policy framework; it is a live, breathing market, and our clients need on-the-ground advisory to navigate it.”

A Macro Tailwind for African Advisory Industry analysts note that LBC’s record year mirrors a broader trend in African macroeconomics. Despite global headwinds and fluctuating commodity prices, FDI into African non-extractive sectors—such as fintech, agribusiness, and renewable energy—has remained remarkably robust.

However, the complexity of navigating fragmented regulatory environments, currency fluctuations, and localized compliance requirements continues to deter mid-tier global investors. This is precisely the gap that trade and investment consultancies like LBC aim to fill.

“Advisory firms that can offer end-to-end market entry services—from feasibility studies and legal compliance to local partnership matchmaking and SME integration—are becoming indispensable,” said a senior Africa-focused analyst at a leading London-based risk consultancy. “LBC’s partnership with GIZ is a masterstroke, as it aligns their commercial advisory goals with the ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) mandates that modern global investors demand.”

As LBC Global closes out the third quarter of 2026, the firm is currently hosting a series of investor roadshows in East Africa, pre-selling its 2027 market-entry dossiers for the North and West African corridors.