Savory & Partners, a global advisory firm specialising in citizenship and residency planning, is expanding its presence across Africa as wealthy investors on the continent increasingly pursue cross-border mobility and diversified wealth structures.
The firm, which currently operates across more than 20 jurisdictions, is deepening its focus on citizenship-by-investment (CBI) and residency-by-investment (RBI) programmes—commonly known as "golden visa" schemes—amid what it describes as a structural shift in how African high-net-worth individuals approach long-term financial planning.
Driving Forces Behind Rising Demand
According to Jeremy Savory, Founder and Chief Executive of Savory & Partners, the demand reflects a "clear shift" in the behaviour of African wealth holders. Rather than treating international mobility as a secondary consideration, high-net-worth individuals are now incorporating it as a core component of wealth preservation and legacy planning.
"Investors are increasingly seeking access to multiple jurisdictions as part of long-term financial planning," Savory said. "The preference for international diversification is now a primary driver, not an afterthought."
Cross-border financial planning has become a more prominent feature of wealth management strategies for Africa's affluent class, with investors looking beyond traditional domestic asset allocation to structure portfolios across different legal and fiscal environments.
Programme Options and Investment Routes
Savory & Partners highlighted several residency programmes that are attracting African clients, including those in Portugal, Greece, Spain, and the United Arab Emirates. These programmes grant residency rights through qualifying investment routes and serve as entry points to international financial systems, real estate markets, and eventual citizenship pathways.
Portugal's golden visa programme, for instance, operates under a €500,000 investment threshold, making it a reference point for investors comparing European residency options. Greece, Spain, and the UAE each offer distinct qualifying criteria, timelines, and rights of access that clients evaluate against their specific mobility and investment objectives.
The firm also pointed to citizenship-by-investment programmes in Caribbean jurisdictions, which offer second passports and visa-free travel benefits. These are positioned as tools for mobility and risk mitigation in an uncertain global environment, particularly for clients seeking to reduce dependency on a single jurisdiction of travel or residence.
Integrated Service Offering
Beyond application processing, Savory & Partners provides due diligence, programme selection advisory, and post-approval support—including assistance with offshore banking and business establishment in target jurisdictions. The firm is integrating wealth advisory services with mobility planning, enabling clients to structure diversified portfolios across multiple jurisdictions while maintaining access to liquidity and global investment opportunities.
Luke Coupe, Director of Wealth Management at the firm, said the approach is designed to align mobility with broader financial strategy, helping clients optimise capital allocation while expanding access to global markets.
Family inclusion remains a key component of the offering, allowing clients to extend citizenship or residency benefits to spouses and dependants as part of long-term legacy planning. This dimension, according to the firm, is a significant factor in programme selection decisions among its African client base.