Our People
​With more than 30 years of experience across 20 African jurisdictions, we have a deep understanding of the African business landscape, and are committed to helping our clients achieve their goals in a sustainable and impactful manner.
Adam Nisbet
Partner
Adam has 15 years of dedicated experience and a proven track record in the delivery of large-scale commercial investment and financing work streams on the African continent. He is a seasoned professional with expertise in navigating the intricacies of investment and financial markets in Africa. In his career to date, he has played instrumental roles within corporate institutions in relation to a wide array of investment and financial matters. He brings extensive experience across African investment markets, having had exposure to an array of investment activity, including mergers and acquisitions, capital raising initiatives, and corporate activity in the listed and unlisted space.
Adam previously held a position as Head of Investment for a London Stock Exchange premium-listed company responsible for investment across nine African jurisdictions and with a portfolio value of ~ USD 850 million. Prior to this, he acted as Development Director for a JSE listed company where he was responsible for the full scope of it’s pan-African investment activities, served as a Director of numerous African based entities, and led the company’s investment committee processes. He holds a profound understanding of the African business landscape, coupled with strong awareness of investment, tax, structuring, corporate governance, legal and regulatory matters.
Jaco Van Zyl
Partner
Jaco is a seasoned finance professional with 19 years of extensive experience in senior financial management, corporate finance, and
treasury operations across various sectors in Africa, including aviation, mining, and real estate. His robust background equips him with a deep understanding of the unique financial landscapes and challenges present in the African market. As the former Head of Treasury for a prominent real estate firm listed on the London Stock Exchange, Jaco demonstrated his expertise by successfully executing Africa's largest sustainability-linked syndicated debt facility in October 2022, totalling USD 306 million. He has effectively managed critical relationships with financiers, overseeing the group’s liquidity and debt facilities across diverse geographies and sectors. His skills in budgeting, forecasting, valuation, financial modelling, cash flow management, foreign exchange, and hedging have been instrumental in optimizing
financial performance for organizations – while his proficiency in capital and tax structuring has enabled large scale investment, and efficient fund flow and repatriation. Jaco holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from North-West University and a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) degree from the University of South Africa. He is a Chartered Accountant and an Affiliate Member of the Association of Corporate Treasurers (ACT). His diverse skill set, and strategic vision are pivotal in driving finance initiatives across the African continent.
Nisha Dinnaram
Head of Finance
Hugo Poupinel
Investment Manager
Nisha is an accomplished finance executive with over 10 years of experience leading financial strategy, operations, and governance across Africa’s investment and real estate sectors. She has built a strong reputation for driving financial discipline, operational excellence, and strategic insight within complex, multi-jurisdictional structures. Before joining the company, Nisha served as Head of Finance and Operations at a pan-African investment group, where she managed a balance sheet exceeding USD 650 million across multiple markets. She led transformative initiatives that strengthened financial performance, enhanced liquidity management, and streamlined reporting frameworks across subsidiaries and projects. Her expertise spans corporate finance, treasury, cross-border structuring, and performance management, underpinned by a deep understanding of IFRS, local GAAP frameworks, and the African business landscape. Nisha is recognized for her analytical rigour, integrity, and results-driven leadership. She is passionate about building agile finance functions that enable strategic growth, reinforce governance, and create long-term value.
Hugo is an investment professional with a strong foundation in investment analysis, client relationship management, with experience spanning real estate, derivatives, and multi-asset investment strategies. He brings a disciplined, analytical approach to identifying opportunities and supporting capital allocation across diverse markets. Prior to joining Africa IP as an Investment Manager, Hugo began his career with a corporate listed real estate company, where he contributed to the investment team’s acquisition analysis and transaction support across African real estate assets. He later completed a bachelor's degree in finance and economics at the University of Western Australia, building a solid grounding in financial theory, valuation, and macroeconomic analysis. Hugo subsequently joined a well-regarded derivative investment firm in Mauritius as a Portfolio Analyst, where he was involved in the structuring and monitoring of structured note portfolios, development of new investment ideas, daily tracking of global markets, and ongoing engagement with clients. His experience bridges technical investment analysis and front-facing stakeholder management, enabling him to translate complex investment strategies into clear, actionable insights.
DISCOVER
Our area of expertise
We specialise in providing expert advice in a range of areas, including capital raising, corporate finance, corporate advisory, and investment advisory services. Our team have proven their ability to navigate the complex African business landscape, and provide tailored solutions to achieve client's business goals.
We are focused on building long-term relationships with our clients, committed to providing the highest level of service and expertise delivered with integrity. We are dedicated to helping our clients achieve their goals, and we work closely with them to develop customised solutions that meet their unique needs.
Our Philosophy
Our Commitment
to results
We are results driven, committed to delivering on the ambitions our clients. We understand the challenges of doing business in Africa, and we are dedicated to helping our clients overcome these challenges and achieve their financial and strategic outcomes. We measure our success by the success of our clients, and we work tirelessly to ensure that results are delivered.
Our Experience
With more than 30 years of experience across 20 African jurisdictions, Africa IP's partners have a deep understanding of Africa's business landscape, regulatory risks, and market dynamics. We have walked the road that our clients are on, giving us a unique perspective of the task at hand and allowing us to preempt the required actions which will ensure the success of a project.