Kessner Capital Management Strengthens Abu Dhabi Presence, Secures First African Financing with Harlequin International Ghana

Abu Dhabi finds itself at the crossroads of something significant. The emirate's emergence as a financial hub isn't just talk anymore, it's becoming reality. Kessner Capital Management, the alternative investment firm with its sights firmly set on African markets, has just announced a strategic partnership with a UAE-based family office that will see them establish a regional presence in the heart of the Gulf's institutional ecosystem.

There's something quietly revolutionary about this move. While London remains their operational headquarters, Abu Dhabi represents more than just another office. It's a statement of intent, a recognition of where the money flows when it comes to African investment.

The First Deal: Ghana Calls

But here's what really matters: Kessner has closed its first transaction. A credit facility extended to Harlequin International Ghana (HIT), designed to support the execution of a procurement contract. It's not flashy, but it's real. It's the kind of financing that keeps the wheels of industry turning, the sort of deal that builds economies from the ground up.

This inaugural transaction represents something deeper than numbers on a balance sheet. It's about understanding that Africa's growth story isn't written in boardrooms in New York or London, but in the factories and workshops of Accra, Lagos, and Nairobi.

Abu Dhabi: The New Gateway to Africa

The choice of Abu Dhabi isn't accidental. The emirate has positioned itself as the natural bridge between global capital and African opportunity. According to Bruno-Maurice Monny, co-founder and Managing Partner of Kessner Capital Management: "Abu Dhabi is devenu un passage obligé for investors seeking African exposure."

There's truth in that observation. The Gulf's sovereign wealth funds and family offices have been quietly building African portfolios for years. What we're witnessing now is the institutionalization of that relationship, the creation of proper infrastructure to support long-term investment strategies.

Beyond Financing: Building Partnerships

The Harlequin International Ghana facility illustrates something important about Kessner's approach. This isn't about parachuting in with capital and hoping for the best. HIT operates in engineering and technical services, supporting Ghana's structural sectors. It's the kind of company that builds the foundation for everything else that follows.

Kessner emphasizes that this first operation demonstrates their positioning: providing tailored financing solutions to African enterprises with solid operational fundamentals, in a context where capital needs remain significant. It's about understanding local markets while applying international standards of governance and transparency.

The Philosophy Behind the Numbers

What strikes me about Kessner's approach is their stated philosophy: not just to finance, but to accompany growth trajectories through demanding governance and transparency requirements. In a continent where capital can sometimes come with strings that bind rather than liberate, this represents a different kind of partnership.

The company positions its strategy within a private credit logic oriented toward sustainable value creation, combining structuring, risk discipline, and local partnerships. It's the kind of approach that recognizes Africa's complexity while refusing to use that complexity as an excuse for lower standards.

Looking Forward

Kessner Capital Management describes itself as an alternative investment management company focused on Africa, relying on a ground-based approach and international and local partnerships to navigate market complexity, mitigate risks, and seek risk-adjusted returns.

The establishment in Abu Dhabi, combined with this first successful transaction in Ghana, suggests we're witnessing the early stages of something that could reshape how international capital engages with African markets. It's not about grand gestures or headline-grabbing deals. It's about building the infrastructure for sustained, meaningful investment.

Sometimes the most important developments happen quietly, in the spaces between the obvious moves. Kessner's expansion to Abu Dhabi and their first deal with Harlequin International Ghana might just be one of those moments.