Mergers and acquisitions in East Africa on the rise as firms seek capital, expansion

Investment in five key sectors — agriculture, finance, fast-moving consumer goods, information and communications technology and health — accounted for more than half of the mergers and acquisitions. FILE

East Africa’s mergers and acquisitions market has started picking up as companies look for ways to protect their market share and ensure better returns for shareholders. Most of the M&A deals are in the financial, telecommunications, industrial and health sectors.

Analysts say the region’s changing economic fortunes over the past two years have seen struggling companies look for partners in a bid to raise new capital, create synergies and build economies of scale to tackle increasing competition.