Global professional services firm Alvarez & Marsal (A&M) has launched its first African office in Cape Town to meet rising demand for support to address complex operational and financial challenges, particularly across energy, utilities, mining and heavy industries.

Global shifts, including the energy transition, supply chain realignment and growing demand for critical minerals, are reshaping industrial and infrastructure priorities across Africa.

Organisations in Africa face increasing pressure to improve operational performance, strengthen resilience and deliver greater returns from existing infrastructure and capital-intensive assets.

Additionally, infrastructure reliability, cost pressures and global supply chain disruptions are placing strain on organisations, the company says.

“There is a broader shift in client expectations. Organisations are under increasing pressure to improve reliability, strengthen operational discipline and deliver financial performance, often simultaneously.

“We are seeing a move away from traditional consulting models towards execution-led support that drives measurable impact,” says A&M infrastructure and capital projects global head Marcos Ganut.

“Demand in Africa is growing for differentiated consulting services. Clients urgently need hands-on support to navigate complexity and a results-driven performance model that unlocks value. We are following that demand,” says A&M co-founder and co-CEO Bryan Marsal.

The firm's Cape Town office will be led by MD Johan van der Westhuyzen, who brings global experience across heavy industry and consulting. He will work with clients across South Africa and the wider Africa region, which will focus on improving performance, addressing margin pressure and unlocking value from existing operations.

“Organisations are increasingly under pressure to deliver more from existing operations. In many cases, the challenge is no longer strategy alone, but execution under pressure. The gap between intent and consistent frontline delivery is often where performance is compromised,” Van der Westhuyzen says.

“For example, South Africa sits at the intersection of many of the global dynamics. It has significant industrial capability and long-term potential, but organisations are also operating in an environment of increasing operational, infrastructure and financial complexity,” he says.

“Leaders in Africa are being challenged to improve reliability, execute with greater consistency and build more resilient operations in an increasingly volatile environment,” he notes.

The firm’s approach combines strategic insight with hands-on implementation, with teams working directly alongside clients to drive execution and accountability.

Further, the opening of the new office builds on the continued global growth of A&M's infrastructure and capital projects practice in recent years, including in the Gulf, Europe, India and North America.