INVEST IN MAURITIUS
AXYS Group has considerably strengthened its African footprint
over the past years. We meet with Louis Lallia, International
Development Manager, who sheds some light on this new phase
of one of the most dynamic financial institutions in the region.
Over the last years AXYS Group has made a number of strategic
moves into the African continent – what has been driving your
strategy?
Since our inception in 1992, the group’s mission has been to
provide wealth management solutions to high net worth clients.
We experienced three development phases: during the first decade
we established our position on the local market as Asset Managers.
As from 2005, we focused on broadening our range of solutions to
offer a comprehensive Wealth Management service. This second
phase was characterised by the acquisition of Trust & Fiduciary
business in Geneva, the Wealth Management capital of the world.
Today, our subsidiary, the NWT Group, is the largest independent
Trust & Fiduciary Company in Geneva with over USD 11 billion
of assets under administration and offices in Geneva, Hong Kong
and Mauritius. The African continent is an obvious territory for
the development of Mauritian companies. We already have a large
customer base in Africa and have been gradually establishing our
presence there over the past years.
How has this strategy been implemented?
Our vision is based on the belief that to properly serve our clients,
we need to understand the economic, political and cultural
contexts in which they operate. We are convinced that the era
of European Private Bankers who Fly-In Fly-Out of countries
to solicit business is well and truly over. One must be present in
Africa if one is to serve African based clients. AXYS Group has
been very successful in deploying its African strategy. We have
finalised the acquisition of APEX Africa, a stockbroker in Kenya.
In South Africa, we acquired a stake in Cogito Capital, a Fund
Manager specializing in African growth sectors. In January 2015,
we also successfully launched the Four Oaks Credit Fund, a credit
fund operating in East Africa. Finally, we partnered with Inside
Capital Partners to launch a purely African Private Equity fund.
On each of these initiatives, we spent lot of time and effort in
identifying the right local partners and their highly skilled teams.
We also created AXYS Consulting DMCC in Dubai with a
seasoned team of former consultants that specialise in business
consulting and fund raising in Africa.
As the “Gateway to Africa”, AXYS Group seems to target
International rather than African clients?
We have a long-term vision. The African continent in recent years
has attracted international investors who are seeking growth. But
this capital cannot be invested haphazardly. Our strength lies in
our knowledge of the regional market. Africa is a huge continent,
and we must approach it with patience. Mauritius offers a stable
and tax efficient jurisdiction from which to invest into Africa; and
AXYS Group has the right tools to guide international investors in
their undertakings. With a presence in Johannesburg, Mombasa,
Nairobi, Mauritius but also in Dubai, we have become a leading
investment force in Africa.
What does the future hold for AXYS Group?
We have received an in-principle approval from the Bank of
Mauritius to open a bank. We have over twenty years of experience
in Wealth Management, and our ambition is to create a financial
institution dedicated exclusively to private banking. We have
invested in a high-end IT platform that offers our customers a
secure and consolidated view of their assets. Our clients will also be
able to place stock market orders online. Our institutional clients
will have direct access to their various accounts and operate multiple
accounts at the same time. The emphasis of the bank will be on
investment services and the safety and fluidity of transactions.
AXYS GROUP
6th Floor, Dias Pier Building
Le Caudan Waterfront, Caudan
Port Louis
T +230 405 4000
www.axys-group.com
LUXURY MAURITIUS
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