Zilla Capital closes AfricInvest’s strategic investments in BUE

Updated 11/2/2025 8:52:00 AM

Arab Finance: Zilla Capital has closed the strategic investment of AfricInvest, a leading pan-African investment platform, in The British University in Egypt (BUE), according to a press release.

The transaction, executed through a capital increase, marks one of Egypt’s largest foreign direct investments (FDI) in the education sector to date.

The capital increase will enable the university to reinforce its position in the higher education sector in Egypt and regionally. It will also scale the capacity of existing faculties, establishing new ones, diversifying its curriculum, expanding its educational offering, and implementing advanced governance tools.

Meanwhile, the British University in Egypt and AfricInvest will collaborate to identify potential synergies and partnerships in Africa and the region.

Following the investment, the Khamis family will retain the majority stake in the university.

Farida Khamis, Chair of the Board of Trustees, said: “This injection of capital, with ongoing support from the Egyptian government, will allow us to further the legacy of our founder – my late father, Mr. Mohamed Farid Khamis – by broadening the capabilities and academic reach of the University to ensure our leading role amongst educational institutions, not just in Egypt, but in the Middle East and Africa.”

Mohamed Loutfi, President and Vice-Chancellor of The British University in Egypt, commented: “The University has made its mark as a student-centered institution, and we look forward to working with our new partners to seek new synergies and leverage AfricInvest’s investment to further develop and strengthen our infrastructure and improve the learning experience for our students.”

On his part, Ismail Talbi, Senior Partner at AfricInvest, noted: “We are thrilled to announce our strategic investment in the British University in Egypt, which marks a significant step towards enhancing educational excellence in the region.”

Moustafa El Shenety, Managing Partner at Zilla Capital, mentioned: “This unique complex transaction reinforces our commitment to supporting strategic investments that strengthen the higher education sector and its impact on future generations.”

Zilla Capital acted as transaction advisor and Baker McKenzie as legal counsel to the British University in Egypt. Matouk Bassiouny & Hennawy served as legal counsel to AfricInvest.