We provide comprehensive due diligence services across Africa for international clients, investors, law firms, family offices, funds, commodity traders, mining groups, infrastructure developers, project sponsors, companies and private clients seeking to verify opportunities before committing capital, signing agreements or entering high-risk transactions.
Our Africa-wide due diligence support is delivered through a trusted network of UK-trained and locally trained lawyers, former government professionals, sector specialists, commercial advisors and local partners across the continent. We help clients identify legal, commercial, regulatory, political and practical risks before they proceed.
Doing business in Africa can offer significant opportunities, but international clients must verify the people, documents, companies, assets, licences, land, government relationships and project claims involved before committing funds or relying on representations.
A properly conducted Africa due diligence review can help expose false claims, weak documentation, unclear ownership, unverified licences, competing rights, political risk, unpaid liabilities, litigation exposure, regulatory issues, corruption risk, sanctions concerns, land title problems, government authority issues and commercial inconsistencies.
We assist clients with due diligence across major African jurisdictions, including Ghana, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, Liberia, Guinea, South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Egypt, Morocco, Mozambique, Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Democratic Republic of the Congo and other countries across the continent.
What Makes Our Due Diligence Support Different
Our strength is the combination of international standards and local execution.
International clients often need more than a standard online search or basic company extract. They need trusted people on the ground who understand local registries, court systems, ministries, land offices, licensing authorities, police and regulatory bodies. They also need professionals who can communicate clearly with international clients, lawyers, investors and boards.
Our network includes UK-trained and locally trained lawyers, African legal partners, former government-connected professionals, arbitration and dispute specialists, compliance advisors, commercial investigators and sector contacts across Africa.
This enables us to deliver local intelligence with international-level reporting, practical risk assessment and strategic recommendations.
Comprehensive Due Diligence Categories
1. Corporate Due Diligence
We help clients verify the legal existence, ownership, registration status and corporate standing of African companies and counterparties.
This may include company registry checks, shareholder verification, director searches, beneficial ownership review, corporate filings, constitutional documents, company status, registered address checks, group structure review, authority to contract, corporate approvals, board resolutions and power of attorney review.
2. Counterparty Due Diligence
Before entering a transaction, partnership, joint venture, agency arrangement, supply agreement, commodity transaction or investment, clients need to know who they are dealing with.
We assist with individual and company background checks, identity verification, reputation review, business history, previous disputes, political exposure, adverse media review, sanctions screening, fraud indicators, references, relationship mapping and verification of claimed government or commercial connections.
3. Legal Due Diligence
We review the legal risks connected to a transaction, asset, company, project or counterparty.
This may include contract review, title and ownership review, litigation exposure, regulatory status, licensing issues, enforceability concerns, governing law, dispute resolution clauses, local law requirements, notarisation, stamping, registration, execution requirements and risks affecting international enforceability.
4. Commercial Due Diligence
We assess whether the commercial opportunity makes sense in practice.
This may include review of the transaction structure, revenue claims, supply chain, pricing, payment terms, delivery obligations, operational capacity, market access, logistics, local dependencies, local partners, counterparties, project timelines, commercial assumptions and practical risks.
5. Government and Ministry Due Diligence
Many African projects involve ministries, public authorities, state agencies, regulators, government-linked companies or public officials.
We help verify whether the government counterparty exists, whether the correct body is involved, whether the signatory has authority, whether the ministry or agency can legally approve the project, whether additional approvals are required, whether the documents are genuine, and whether the project structure is realistic.
This is especially important for Government MOUs, public-private partnerships, mining concessions, infrastructure projects, energy projects, agricultural projects, commodity arrangements and large-scale investment proposals.
6. Government MOU and Project Document Due Diligence
We review Government MOUs, framework cooperation agreements, project development agreements, concession documents, letters of intent, mandate letters, comfort letters, agency appointments and public-sector project documents.
We assess whether the document is binding, non-binding or partly binding; whether it protects exclusivity; whether the public body has authority; whether the obligations are clear; whether dispute resolution is included; whether approvals are realistic; and whether the client is exposed before committing funds.
7. Mining, Minerals and Natural Resources Due Diligence
We assist clients involved in mining, gold, diamonds, lithium, bauxite, iron ore, manganese, copper, cobalt, oil, gas and other natural resource projects.
Due diligence may include licence verification, concession checks, permit review, ownership verification, local partner review, export compliance, community issues, environmental approvals, royalty obligations, tax exposure, regulatory risk, government approvals, competing claims and site-level intelligence.
8. Gold and Commodities Due Diligence
Gold and commodity transactions require careful verification before payment, shipment, financing or contract execution.
We assist with due diligence on gold sellers, commodity suppliers, buyers, mandates, intermediaries, refineries, export documents, licences, customs requirements, supply chain claims, payment structures, delivery obligations, warehouse documents, assay documentation, provenance, sanctions risk, fraud indicators and transaction security.
9. Land and Real Estate Due Diligence
Land transactions in Africa require careful local verification.
We assist with land title checks, ownership history, competing claims, customary land issues, government acquisition risk, leases, encumbrances, mortgages, site inspections, boundary concerns, zoning, planning permission, land registry searches, family or stool land issues where applicable, court disputes and regulatory approvals.
10. Infrastructure and Project Due Diligence
For infrastructure, construction, energy, logistics, transport, ports, roads, rail, housing and public-private projects, we review the legal and commercial foundation of the opportunity.
This may include project documents, government approvals, concessions, licences, site access, environmental permits, funding claims, local sponsors, procurement issues, public authority approvals, community risk, political risk and project delivery capacity.
11. Litigation and Dispute Due Diligence
We help identify whether a company, individual, asset or project is connected to litigation, arbitration, regulatory action, criminal allegations, enforcement proceedings, unpaid judgments or historic disputes.
This may include local court searches, litigation history, arbitration indicators, demand letters, enforcement issues, insolvency searches, regulatory complaints and reputational risk review.
12. Regulatory and Licensing Due Diligence
Many projects require local licences, permits, authorisations or sector-specific approvals.
We assist with reviewing licence validity, regulatory authority, permit status, renewal obligations, sector compliance, operating permissions, import or export requirements, mining regulations, financial services requirements, telecoms, energy, construction, environmental and customs-related approvals.
13. Tax and Financial Due Diligence
We can help coordinate tax and financial review through appropriate professionals.
This may include tax registration status, unpaid tax risk, withholding tax, VAT, customs duties, royalties, local levies, financial statements, bankability issues, outstanding liabilities, transaction taxes, transfer restrictions and payment structure risks.
14. Anti-Bribery, Anti-Corruption and Sanctions Due Diligence
International clients must be careful when dealing with government officials, politically exposed persons, intermediaries, agents and public-sector projects.
We assist with anti-bribery and anti-corruption risk review, politically exposed person checks, sanctions screening, adverse media review, intermediary risk, facilitation payment concerns, procurement red flags, unusual commission structures and compliance with international standards.
15. Political Risk and Sovereign Risk Due Diligence
Government-linked projects may be affected by political changes, elections, ministerial changes, administrative disputes, regulatory interference, expropriation risk, permit cancellation, policy shifts and competing interests.
We help clients understand political and sovereign risk before they commit funds, enter a Government MOU or rely on government-facing assurances.
16. Employment, Immigration and Local Workforce Due Diligence
Where projects involve local staff, expatriates, consultants or cross-border personnel, we can assist with employment, immigration and labour risk review.
This may include work permits, local employment laws, contractor status, immigration compliance, expatriate staffing, local content obligations, labour disputes and regulatory requirements.
17. Asset and Site Verification
Where required, we can help coordinate local verification of assets, offices, project sites, mines, warehouses, land, equipment, facilities and operational claims.
This can be particularly important where international clients have not visited the site or where the transaction involves high-value assets, commodities, mining rights, land, logistics or infrastructure.
18. Family Office and Private Client Due Diligence
We assist family offices, private investors and high-net-worth clients considering African investments, land purchases, gold transactions, mining opportunities, infrastructure participation, joint ventures or private deals.
Our role is to help clients verify the opportunity, understand the risk and avoid preventable loss.
19. Law Firm and Attorney Referral Due Diligence Support
We support international law firms, boutique firms, barristers, solicitors, attorneys and in-house legal teams requiring reliable African local counsel, document verification, court searches, registry checks, local opinions, government process insight or dispute intelligence.
Through our attorney referral network and African legal partners, we can help connect clients with suitable local lawyers depending on the jurisdiction, language, urgency and specialist area required.
20. Emergency Due Diligence Before Payment or Signing
Where a client is about to transfer funds, sign a Government MOU, pay an agent, enter a commodity transaction, rely on a licence, ship goods or commit to a project, we can provide urgent due diligence support.
Early checks can prevent fraud, loss of leverage, unenforceable agreements, political exposure, regulatory problems and avoidable disputes.
Why International Clients Choose Us
International clients choose us because we combine Africa-wide local knowledge with international professional standards.
Our advantages include:
UK-trained and locally trained lawyers; trusted African legal partners; attorney referral network across the continent; former government experience and public-sector understanding; access to local registry, court and ministry knowledge; strong communication with international clients; ability to coordinate urgent cross-border checks; practical understanding of gold, commodities, mining, infrastructure and government-facing projects; experience supporting high-value and sensitive matters; ability to work with law firms, investors, companies and families; and a focus on protecting clients before they commit funds.
Our Approach
We begin by understanding the transaction, country, counterparty, project documents and client objective. We then identify the key risks and recommend a due diligence plan.
Depending on the matter, this may involve legal review, document verification, registry searches, local lawyer instructions, government process checks, site intelligence, court searches, regulatory review, sanctions and adverse media screening, commercial analysis and practical recommendations.
Our reports are designed to be clear, strategic and useful. We do not simply collect documents. We help clients understand what the findings mean and what action should be taken before proceeding.
Contact: amanda@clintonconsultancy.com
