Survey
World Survey 2014
as well as Africa where the Big Four, midtier networks and global associations have
increasingly started to look for opportunities.
Especially, in South Africa a lot has happened, with, for example, PKF International
losing member firms to Mazars and Grant
Thornton International. Mazars chief executive officer Philippe Castagnac says: “We
have now a very comfortable position in
South Africa thanks to our expansion. And
we are quite pleased because we now have a
footprint in this part of the world where we
didn’t use to be.”
Other mid-tier networks have reported
movement across the continent, such as
International Accounting Bulletin
BDO adding a member firm in Ethiopia, R SM in Nigeria, and Nex ia in
Uganda and Egypt.
Associations have also increased their
interest in Africa. HLB International added
member firms in Tanzania and Niger, while
GGI Geneva Group International added a
member in Zimbabwe, and Abacus Worldwide added the association’s first African
firm in Nigeria.
The Key Will Group, a new association
appearing in the IAB ranking was particularly active in gaining additional members
in 2013. It reported one of the highest
growths, 83%, among surveyed association
and networks. In the past year, Key Will
Group added several member firms worldwide with a particular focus on Central and
Eastern Europe, as well as in Africa and the
Middle East.
Chinese strategy
In Asia, one of the main deals of the year
happened in China where RSM China
and Crowe Horwath China merged creating a firm of 344 partners and 2,600 staff
and annual revenues of about CNY2.8bn
($457m) in May. According to the Chinese
Institute of Certified Accountants data for
2013, the new firm, rebranded as Ruihua,
will be larger by fee income in Mainland
China than EY and KPMG.
■■ WORLD SURVEY 2014
Networks: fee data
Fee split (%)
Rank
2013
Name
Revenue
($m)
Growth
rate(%)
Audit &
Accounting
Tax
services
Management
consulting
Corporate
recovery/
Insolvency
Corporate
finance
Litigation
support
Year-end
Other
NETWORKS
1
Deloitte*
32,400.0
4%
40
19
32
9
-
-
-
2
PwC* (