About the Founder

Nisha Dharamlall is the Founder and Managing Director of Niche Advisory, an independent, senior-led M&A Transaction Services boutique established in 2023.

Over the past three years, Nisha has successfully built Niche Advisory into a respected transaction advisory firm, supporting leading South African corporates, private equity teams and investment holding companies on significant local and cross-border transactions. The firm’s credentials include Bidvest Group’s acquisition of Citron Hygiene and the Entsha-Zahid consortium’s acquisition of Barloworld. In its early years, Niche Advisory achieved a significant milestone, ranking fourth by deal value in the M&A Transactional Support Services category of the 2024 DealMakers Awards.

Niche Advisory was founded on Nisha’s belief that clients value deep technical expertise, commercial insight and direct involvement from experienced senior professionals. Her approach combines rigorous financial analysis with pragmatic, independent advice, simplifying complex transaction issues and helping clients make informed decisions that protect and enhance deal value.

Prior to founding Niche Advisory, Nisha spent over two decades at Deloitte, where she was instrumental in establishing and growing its M&A Transaction Services business into a leading practice in Africa. Having joined Deloitte Financial Advisory in 2001, she led numerous high-profile local and international transactions for JSE-listed companies, multinational groups and private equity investors. Her clients included Bidvest Group, Mr Price Group, Tiger Brands, Remgro, Woolworths, Mondelez, Vodacom and Telkom, amongst others. She was also the lead Deloitte Financial Advisory partner for Bidvest Group.

Nisha’s leadership extended beyond transaction execution. She served on the Deloitte Global M&A Executive Council, represented Financial Advisory on the Deloitte Women in Leadership committee and spearheaded the establishment of Deloitte’s M&A Value Creation Services business, focusing on post-merger integration, separation and value creation.

Throughout her career, Nisha has been recognised for her ability to combine strategic thinking with attention to detail, distilling complex financial and commercial matters into clear, actionable insights. Her success has been built on trusted client relationships, sound commercial judgement and an unwavering commitment to delivering value.

Beyond her professional achievements, Nisha is deeply passionate about empowering women and creating opportunities for them to thrive. Having navigated the demands of building a successful career in M&A while raising a family, she understands the challenges women often face in balancing their personal and professional aspirations. She is committed to mentoring, encouraging and championing women, helping them build confidence, recognise their potential and pursue their ambitions with conviction.

Nisha believes that empowering women goes beyond mentorship. It is about opening doors, creating opportunities, sharing experiences and fostering an environment where women feel supported, valued and confident to lead authentically. She is particularly passionate about encouraging women to believe in their own abilities and to recognise that success need not come at the expense of who they are. For her, one of the most rewarding aspects of leadership is seeing others grow, succeed and realise their full potential.

Nisha was featured in DealMakers Women in 2023 and 2025, sharing her experiences and perspectives on leadership, motherhood, mentorship and creating opportunities for women in the M&A industry.

For Nisha, success is measured not only by the transactions completed, but by the enduring relationships built, the value delivered to clients and, equally importantly, the people she inspires, empowers and helps grow along the way.