Frontière Advisory Establishes African Presence To Support Businesses In Managing Reputation And Legitimacy

“South Africa has learned the cost of reputational strain,” said Deanne Chatterton, CEO South Africa and Africa. “From governance scandals to community conflict in mining, billions in value have been lost when companies misread how legitimacy is earned and sustained. What we do is help leaders keep value intact by managing trust as seriously as they manage capital.”

With South Africa still Africa’s largest source of outward FDI, Frontière Advisory’s Johannesburg base positions it to help companies navigate regional expansion while sustaining trust at home.

Kim Polley, CEO UK and Africa, added: “Johannesburg is the hub for Africa’s capital and commerce. From here we can support South African firms expanding northwards, as well as global firms entering SA, with strategies that reflect both investor expectations and local realities.”

The launch comes as global investors re-engage with select African opportunities. UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) reports that foreign direct investment to Africa reached a record US$97 billion in 2024, up 75 percent year-on-year, though flows remain highly concentrated and highly sensitive to governance and community risk.

Frontière Advisory’s model blends senior counsel with a panel of Frontière Advisors in six African markets, ensuring strategies are informed by lived experience and executed locally. The company was founded on the ethos that business can be a force for stability in uncertain places – but only when it earns the right to be trusted.

About the founders

• Deanne Chatterton is a recognised business leader who has worked across Africa, the UK and Asia, helping organisations navigate crises, embed ESG, weather M&As, IPOs and investor scrutiny, and build reputational resilience.
• Kim Polley is a senior communications and reputation strategist with almost 30 years’ experience advising global and African businesses in resources, agriculture, energy, financial services, and technology. She has guided companies through environmental incidents, regulatory investigations, activist campaigns, and community disputes, helping boards translate strategy into credibility with stakeholders.

What Frontière Advisory does

• Reputation - evidence-based positioning tailored to local expectations
• Stakeholder strategy - practical pathways to sustain trust with governments, regulators, communities and investors
• Risk and crisis - value protection and rapid recovery when risk escalates
• ESG - alignment to unlock capital and future-proof strategy

Media contact

moc.yrosivdaereitnorf@lesnuocSA: +27 82 899 2971UK: +44 759 473 0291