The Islamic Finance industry is in the nascent stages of development. Therefore it is imperative for market participants to undertake a high degree of product innovation, to maintain a market leading, competitive positioning.
Global Islamic Financial Services Firm provides a one-stop solution for product development requirements, from design through to implementation.
We combine deep knowledge of Islamic financing techniques with a comprehensive understanding of tax and regulatory requirements to assist in the development of market leading products in line with Sharia’a requirements.
We are ideally positioned to develop products from Shariah principles with reference to primary Sharia’a sources; an important feature as the industry seeks to move to more innovative shariah based products. We have created many of the World’s most innovative and shariah based products.
Sharia’a Scholars play a pivotal role in the Islamic Finance sector, as it is only following their explicit approval that a product or transaction is deemed to be Sharia’a compliant.
There is a recognized shortage of suitably qualified Sharia’a Scholars in the industry, serving an increasing number of Islamic Finance institutions. Consequently, access to Sharia’a input when required can be challenging.
A Fatwa or Islamic Legal Edict is the highest form of religious authority in Islam.
Our dedicated team of reputed scholars have specialist knowledge and experience in issuing Fatawa or Islamic Legal Edicts of the highest quality and we are affiliated to the world renowned DarulIftaa based in Durban.
Our specialized team is able to asses, advice and validate financial products and concepts for Shariah Compliancy with a formal Fatwa (Islamic Legal Edict).
Our team has worked with some of the largest financial institutions and investment firms in conducting high level Shariah reviews of their Shariah product offering.
Combined with specialist knowledge of Islamic Finance and professional financial expertise, we are able to review, evaluate and access structures, directives and concepts to ensure proper Shariah compliance in line with the highest regulatory and standard setting authorities on Islamic Finance.
Shari’a audit engages in reviewing all transactions, products, & financial statements on a regular basis to ensure optimal shariah compliance. Our Shari’a Compliance Audit is a trust engendering tool.
Our experienced team of Shari’a Auditors align internal Shari’a function’s with business strategic objectives, taking into account overall risk management, compliance monitoring, and business performance. Our approach identifies implementation problems to administer the necessary rectifications & augment performance.
Our specialist team of Scholars works with our dedicated legal and business advisory practices in proving shariah solutions for large commercial and financial mediations and arbitrations.
Our decisions and rulings have been official recognized and endorsed by Governmental institutions.
Islamic Wealth Management extends to the structures of Islamic Financial products, portfolio management, asset allocation and overall financial planning.
We cover all aspects of Islamic Wealth Management including the proper acquisition of wealth, preservation of wealth and proper disposal of wealth according to shariah principles.
Our team is able to meet our client needs in developing unique shariah trust deeds, estate planning, portfolio screening, zakat distribution and specialized private investment funds. High level analysis of financial structures are carried out in meeting our client’s needs.
Shariah Governance is key to the development of a robust and regulated Islamic Finance Industry. Our team has developed some of the World’s most innovative and renowned standards on shariah governance in ensuring complete shariah compliance.
The choice of the Shariah Supervisory Board is a crucial step in the launch of an Islamic financial operation, whether full-fledged or a window.
Our team of highly reputed and specialist scholars participate on some of the most prestigious Islamic Financial Institutions including Central Banks, Governments, Large Corporations and Banks.
We are ideally placed to assist our clients in developing a dynamic and reputable shariah board.
With our unique blend of skills and talents, we consist of a highly qualified team of chartered accountants, financial advisors, economists, lawyers and shariah scholars who are well geared to understand our client’s needs firstly. We then pool together these substantial resources in providing our client’s with world class Shariah Compliant Tax Solutions that is insightful and answerable to your requirements.
Our client base includes listed and unlisted South African companies, offshore investors seeking to enter Africa or South Africa, the branches and local offices of offshore entities, trusts and high net-worth individuals.
We cover all corporate tax issues including corporate tax planning, international tax issues, mergers and acquisitions, corporate restructuring, tax accounting and tax processes and controls.
We provide a wide range of legal services to a number of clients, both local and international. We serve medium to large local and international clients, parastatal and government organisations in many aspects of corporate and commercial law. We focus on the generation of forward-thinking ideas, the development of concept proposals, and the identification of legal issues, drafting, reviewing, critically assessing and negotiating documentation and implementation of transactions according to Shariah Law.
Combined with a specialist understanding of Shariah and unique expertise in conventional transactions – we are uniquely placed to meet clients’ legal needs including corporate and commercial law, financial services law, private equity, central bank regulations, inward and outward investment, structuring of business entities and financial contracts.
We have developed world class educational and training programmes for the Islamic Finance Industry. Our team of scholars have trained thousands of bankers, financial analysts, economists, accountants, lawyers and scholars from around the World.
We are able to design specialized and customized in-door training solutions to enhance the knowledge and quality of our client’s employees. Our training solutions cover a vast array of technical and practical topics including Shariah Governance and Assurance, Islamic Liquidity Management, Islamic Insurance, Islamic Financing and Banking, Sukuk, Islamic Risk Management and Islamic Finance Accounting.
Our specialist scholars currently advise various Central Banks in developing prudential regulations for the Islamic Finance Industry. Our corporate financial and tax advisory teams have played key and influential roles in developing regulations and standards for the Islamic Finance Industry all over the Globe.
Our global network of corporate legal, tax, financial and shariah advisors are well placed to assist our clients in developing substantial and prudential regulations for the Islamic Finance Industry.
The Islamic Funds Advisory service brings together Tax, Sharia’a and Corporate Finance expertise, providing support from inception through to fund investment. Our team creates tax efficient fund structures reflecting Sharia’a requirements, together with designing appropriate governance frameworks to achieve ongoing Sharia’a compliance.
For established funds, we advise on Sharia’a compliant asset selection and capital structuring of transactions.
Our team advises governments, large corporate and investment firms in structuring shariah compliant sukuk (Islamic Bonds) to meet their capital and liquidity requirements. Our global network of corporate legal and financial advisors have developed some of the World’s most unique and first of a kind sukuk structures.
We offer bespoke translation and linguistic advisory services for Urdu, Turkish, Arabic, English, Italian, Chinese and Spanish languages. Our linguists are ISO Compliant and have university qualifications. We offer the following services:
Document Translation
Simultaneous Interpretation
Linguistic Validation
Consecutive Interpretation
Arabic Transcription
Typesetting and Graphics
Voiceovers and Subtitling
Staffing Solutions
Multicultural Marketing
Document Management
E-Learning Support
We advise our select group of clients on major corporate transactions. We advise on the full range of domestic and international corporate transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, due-diligence, corporate data protection, corporate re-organizations, IPOs and other capital markets transactions, private equity and venture capital transactions and privatizations. We have conducted several M&A Projects with major global clients. We also work with CFO’s and Company Executives with value-based planning that ensures a focus on shareholder value creation by covering strategy, business planning, resource allocation, performance management and zero-based budgeting mechanisms.
We develop innovative and unique approaches for our clients that focus on strategic and sustainable business growth. We manage many projects for our clients globally and provide all the regulatory, management and advisory support to such businesses. Our recent clients include a major apparel company in Africa, hotel group in UAE, Agricultural fund in UAE. Logistics companies in Tanzania, manufacturing company in South Africa and financial institution in Australia. We believe in results driven business management advisory services. We also provide performance testing, feasibility studies, information technology and digital consulting services.
We manage over 600 Million USD of investor funds via our global investment offices and offer investments into a diverse range of projects and sectors. We also provide business opportunities and develop diversified spin-offs for our clients in various countries. We have a specialised team of 12 individuals spread out globally who conduct due-diligence on projects, feasibility studies, business costing, strategic planning, ongoing business management and supervision. Our funds have delivered in excess of inflation with sustainable large profit margins for clients and investors. We bring unique expertise in managing and supervising projects in most sectors. Our projects and sectors include the following:
- Property Development – United Kingdom/South Africa/United Arab Emirates/Turkey
- Healthcare – South Africa
- Manufacturing and Distribution – GCC/ Sub-Saharan Africa/Indonesia/United Kingdom/Asia
- Agriculture – GCC/Europe/Turkey
- Bio-Technology – United Kingdom
- Technology – Malaysia/Luxembourg
- Logistics – South Africa
- Financial Services – South Africa
Critical data and research is one of the most fundamental and urgent requirements of the Islamic Finance Industry. We have developed an action plan in meeting some of those requirements in spreading awareness and enabling scholars and key players in the market to keep updated with the latest trends and practices in the Industry. The strategy includes daily reports covering the latest trends in the Industry, the development of a shariah and legal research monitor covering key aspects of the Islamic Finance Industry and conducting a research colloquium for key industry players and scholars to contribute to the strategic development of the Industry. In addition, our team contributes to the development of the industry by engaging with various standard setting institutes and policy makers to enhance and promote the development of the Industry.
We aspire to be the leading globally reputed trusted advisor and financier to our clients, which include corporations, financial institutions, financial sponsors, governments and public authorities and boards of directors. The Investment Banking Division plays a critical role in the GIFS Global Operations Franchise. Our global structures allow us to better serve the strategic and financing needs of our clients across all geographies and sectors. We provide advice on a full range of transactions, including mergers, sales, acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, management buyouts, joint ventures, raid defenses, spin-offs, divestitures, corporate debt restructuring, corporate finance, structured finance, FX Currency swaps, capital markets both equity and debt and corporate listings for specialized financial instruments including MTN's, IPO's, Sukuk/bonds both euro and sovereign and global trust certificates.
Our highly-skilled global merchant and corporate banking teams work across asset classes, industries and currencies to advise, structure, arrange, distribute and provide funding across our clients’ capital structures. We design bespoke structured lending solutions to enhance our clients’ working capital positions by unlocking value in their inventory, debtors and creditors. We provide a full range of trade finance, invoice discounting, asset finance, private equity, cash management and FX dealing services. Our client coverage teams within our global structure are able to offer strategic advice on a range of solutions across global markets and industries. The Client Coverage team members have strong backgrounds in corporate banking, global markets and investment banking and approach the markets with specialized teams.
GIFS offers structured Shariah solutions for Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs), institutional and professional investors, private equity funds and developers. These solutions range from debt to equity as well as risk management solutions, combined with an entire investment banking product suite. We also provide strategic real estate advice on property acquisitions, lease agreements, sale side advisory and contract negotiation.
Other financial products include the below:
- Investment loans
- Development Loans
- Mortgage-backed Business Loans
- Lease Discounting
- Vacant Land
- Agricultural Land
- Distressed property