Equipping Africa’s top impact investors &
advisors with the
best senior talent
Who We Are
Tafuta is a Swahili verb that stands for Search Find Look For Seek
Tafuta Associates is a boutique search firm that equips the top impact investors and advisors in Sub-Saharan Africa with the best senior talent.
With 15+ years of experience in executive search consulting in both developed and developing markets, we combine a world-class methodology with local market knowledge and a presence on the ground.
Who We Work With
We specialise in assisting companies in the African impact investing ecosystem including:
Impact Investors
Advisory Firms
Foundations
Development Finance Institutions (DFIs)
Our Client Base
Meet The Team
Danilo Frison
Founder & Managing Director
Danilo is an experienced Nairobi-based executive search consultant and recruitment entrepreneur who founded Tafuta Associates in 2016 and Kaya Talent in 2020.
He was previously based in Kampala where he co-founded the executive search arm of NFT Consult, a Ugandan HR outsourcing, recruitment and training provider with operations across the East African Community.
Prior to this, Danilo worked as a Consultant in the London office of Veredus, the British executive search firm owned by Capita plc (FTSE 250 - LSE: CPI).
He started his career in the United Kingdom with Alexander Mann Solutions, the global market leader in Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO).
Danilo is an Italian national who has lived in Italy, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Uganda and Kenya. He holds a BA (Hons) in Economics and Sociology from the University of York (United Kingdom).
Fiona Maingi
Research Associate
As a Research Associate, Fiona identifies and connects top-tier executive talent for impact investors, foundations, and advisory firms across Africa.
Prior to joining Tafuta Associates, Fiona contributed to Africa's tech and investment landscape. She served as the Special Projects Lead at Women Who Build Africa, a community dedicated to supporting women in Africa's tech and business sectors.
Additionally, she worked as a Brand and Content Associate at ImaliPay, a fintech company offering embedded financial services to businesses across Africa.
A Kenyan national, Fiona has lived and studied in Kenya, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. She holds an MSc in Digital Marketing with Distinction from Royal Holloway, University of London, and a BA in Political Science and International Relations from the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.
Marian Awale
Project Administrator
As Project Administrator at Tafuta Associates, Marian works directly in support of the firm's Founder, providing coordination and administrative support across a number of company-wide initiatives.
Prior to joining Tafuta Associates, she built a strong foundation in operations and administration through hands-on experience running her family's feed and salt production business, a role that took her across the region with operations extending into Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Over the past two years, Marian also worked as a virtual administrator for clients in both the USA and Kenya, managing remote operations and providing administrative support across a range of professional contexts.
A Kenyan national, Marian is based in Nairobi. She holds a Bachelor's degree in International Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing from the United States International University (USIU-Africa), Nairobi, Kenya. She is currently pursuing a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification from the Project Management Institute (PMI).
One Company, Two Brands
We also specialise in mid-level search and on-site recruitment through Kaya Talent.
Address
3rd Floor, The Promenade
General Mathenge Drive, Westlands
P.O. Box 1730-00606
Nairobi, Kenya