M&A dealmaking soared to record-breaking heights in the first half of 2021, with transactions totalling more than US$2.7 trillion. What makes this surge all the more remarkable is that it comes in the wake of one of the biggest economic contractions in more than 90 years. M&A has not only bounced back from the COVID crash of 2020, it has bounced higher than anyone imagined possible. It all looked very different 18 months ago. Dealmaking evaporated in the first half of 2020 as the pandemic took hold. Q2 2020 saw a particularly sharp drop in activity, with deal value globally falling to just US$374 billion – the second- lowest quarterly total on record. On Wednesday, we hosted a fireside chat with Krishna Nagar of Rand Merchant Bank, Marinda Dippenaar of Africa Rainbow Capital, and Paul Moeketsi of Sanlam Investments to get their modern deal perspectives on the current climate across investment banking, private equity and investment holding. Our panel was joined by Arie Maree, Ansarada's Head of Region for the Middle East and Africa and host Justin Smith, Chief Marketing Officer. The discussion included outlooks on market sentiment with a view to future activity in Africa, including key considerations companies should make throughout the full deal lifecycle in the current landscape. It also offered actionable advice for those seeking opportunities in the region, navigating different types of transactions, and discovering the impact that digital technology can have on each stage of a transaction. {^widget|(name)CtaText|(Variant)Low|(Title)Modern+deals+require+modern+solutions|(Subtitle)Ansarada+Deals%e2%84%a2+is+a+total+transaction+management+solution+bringing+confidence+and+control+to+advisors+and+their+clients+across+the+full+deal+lifecycle.+Don%27t+pay+a+thing+until+your+first+guest+user+logs+in.|(ButtonVariant)Accent|(Text)Get+a+quote|(Url)https%3a%2f%2fwww.ansarada.com%2fquote|(ButtonVariant2)Default|(LinkText2)Get+started+for+free|(LinkUrl2)https%3a%2f%2fwww.ansarada.com%2ffreemium-signup%2fcorporate|(widget_displayname)CTA+text^}
