At GIFS, we offer a full suite of Shariah-aligned financial services — from product development, structuring and certification, to corporate finance, investment banking, sukuk and private equity. We support clients with audit & assurance, legal and tax advisory, and wealth management — all fully compliant. Whether you’re a bank, institutional investor or government entity, our tailored solutions deliver ethical, transparent and effective outcomes. Partner with us to navigate Islamic finance with confidence and clarity.
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.
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 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.
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.