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WE ARE iConsult

WE REFINE compliance

WE COMPLY with governance

WE GOVERN with ordinance

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OUR IDENTITY

A legacy built on integrity, scholarship and Shariah principle.

iConsult Africa is more than an advisory firm; it is a practice built on integrity, innovation and ethical conduct. Established in Cape Town, we help banks, funds, fintechs and corporates design, certify and operate Shariah-compliant financial products. From the outset, Shariah principles have shaped every decision we make and every structure we certify.

12,000+ Professionals & scholars trained

11 Countries served worldwide

20+ Years of combined practice

10+ Qualified Shari'ah Scholars

OUR MINDSET

Intelligent compliance for sustainable trust.

We believe compliance should create confidence, not friction. Every engagement is built around durable structures — instruments and governance frameworks that hold up commercially, operationally and under regulatory review, long after the certificate is issued. DISCOVER MORE

OUR CORE VALUES

The principles behind every resolution.

Seven commitments that govern how we advise, structure and certify — and how we hold ourselves accountable to the institutions who trust us.

Rigorous 01

Every opinion is grounded in classical scholarship and AAOIFI Standards — never a shortcut, never a rubber stamp.

Independent 02

Our Shariah Supervisory Board answers to principle, not to the deal. Certification means something because it can be withheld.

Practical 03

A fatwa that cannot be operated is just paperwork. We design structures your teams can actually run.

Blended 04

Shariah scholarship, structured finance and technology, sitting in one room, on one mandate.

Committed 05

We stay through implementation — mandate to market to business-as-usual — not just to the signature.

Transparent 06

Clear findings, clear remediation, clear pricing. No open-ended retainers with nothing to show.

Accountable 07

We deliver against commitments within deadlines, and we stand by the certificates we issue.

See how these values shape an engagement → Our approach

OUR VERSATILE APPROACH TO

BUILDING COMPLIANCE

SHARIAH ADVISORY

Standing scholarly guidance and supervisory board secretariat across contracts, structures and edge cases.

CERTIFICATION & AUDIT

Independent certification and annual Shariah audit against AAOIFI Standards, with purification and remediation.

PRODUCT STRUCTURING

Murabaha, Ijarah, Musharakah, Sukuk and Takaful structures — compliant, and commercially viable.

TRAINING & ACADEMY

The official AAOIFI exam centre in Cape Town: CSAA, CIPA and bespoke in-house programmes.

SHARIAH COMPLIANCE · ISLAMIC FINANCE ADVISORY

THE KEY FEATURES TO THE

iCONSULT BRAND

RIGOUR

REACH

TRACK RECORD

DISCIPLINE

INNOVATION

Shariah compliance is the whole job, not a step in it. Every opinion is grounded in classical scholarship and AAOIFI Standards, researched in depth before we commit, and written so your teams can act on it.

20+ YEARS OF COMBINED PRACTICE

KNOWLEDGE PLATFORM

The Garden of Knowledge

The Garden of Knowledge was founded in 2022 by Zubair Aziz Ismail Sakoor as a platform dedicated to sharing beneficial Islamic knowledge, research, and educational resources with the wider community. The Garden of Knowledge serves as a growing research and article repository for Islamic knowledge, with a special focus on Islamic Finance. A key upcoming feature is the Islamic Finance Academy, which will offer unique short courses to the public at no cost, with the aim of making Islamic Finance education more accessible, practical, and beneficial. VISIT THE GARDEN OF KNOWLEDGE ↗

SCHOLARSHIP & GOVERNANCE

Meet the Team

Dr. Ziyaad Mahomed

CHAIRMAN

Associate Professor Dr. Ziyaad Mahomed stands as a distinguished Shariah Advisor, extending his expertise to over twelve boards of Islamic financial institutions on an international scale. Notably, he holds the esteemed position of Chairman of the HSBC Amanah Shariah Board in Malaysia, underscoring his influence in shaping Shariah compliance within the financial sector.

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Dr. Ziyaad’s research and consultancy efforts have left an indelible mark on the global Islamic finance landscape. His focus on innovating Takaful products and models spans diverse regions, including South Africa, Nigeria, Mauritius, and Malaysia. His leadership in numerous consultancies has been instrumental in the development of Islamic Banking windows and the evolution of Takaful in various countries, with notable contributions to the UK, Maldives, Nigeria, the Philippines, Afghanistan and Kazakhstan, among others. He serves as a Senior World Bank Consultant for advancement of Islamic Finance in Africa and South-East Asia.

Dr Ziyaad holds a Phd in Islamic Finance from INCEIF in Malaysia; a MBA in Islamic Banking from MANCOSA in South Africa; a BCom in Financial Management from the University of Johannesburg and a BA(Hons) in Business Finance from Anglia Rushkin University. He also holds certificates and licences in various traditional Islamic sciences with specialization in Islamic Commercial Law from Cairo, Egypt.

Shaykh Ziyaat Isaacs

MANAGING DIRECTOR

Shaykh Ziyaat is the founder and Managing Director of I Consult Africa and a Certified Shari’ah Advisor & Auditor from the Accounting & Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI) based in Bahrain.

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Shaykh Ziyaat is a seasoned Islamic Finance entrepreneur and consultant in various capacities to both the private and public sectors. He is instrumental in the development of cross border relationships as a transactional advisor to MNCs and sovereigns through trade and finance.

Shaykh Ziyaat also serves as a Lecturer at the International Peace College of South Africa (IPSA) in Islamic Commercial Law and Islamic Finance and has several publications in Islamic Finance both locally and globally.

His primary training in Islamic finance was under the auspices of the International Shariah Research Academy (ISRA) , a research think tank commissioned by the Central Bank of Malaysia.

Shaykh Ziyaad holds a MSc in Islamic Finance from the Global University of Islamic Finance (INCEIF) in Malaysia and a BA (Hons) in Islamic Finance with specialization in Capital Markets from Selangor International Islamic University College (KUIS) in Malaysia. He also has experience and recognition for Islamic Studies in Quran, Shari’ah and Arabic Language from various institutions in South Africa, Syria and Egypt.

Mufti Yousuf Sultan

SHARI’AH ADVISOR

Mufti Yousuf Sultan is the Head of Shari’ah & Governance for Ethis Group in Malaysia and also a registered Shari’ah Advisor with the Securities Commission of Malaysia. He is a Certified Shari’ah Advisor and Auditor (CSAA) from Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI), Bahrain and an AAOIFI Master Trainer.

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He has long professional experience with teaching, training and advisory on Shari’ah and Islamic Finance with specific exposure to Islamic Fintech. He held various leadership positions for Shari’ah, Operations, Technology & Infrastructure at Ethis – an Islamic Fintech Group based in Malaysia that pioneered several award-winning Islamic Crowdfunding platforms for investment and charity in Indonesia and Malaysia.

Mufti Yousuf co-founded IFA Consultancy in Bangladesh, a pioneer institution promoting Islamic Finance to the mass through training, workshops, seminars, and consultancy. Yousuf advises institutions in several countries, including Malaysia, Indonesia, South Africa, UAE & Bangladesh. He is also a member of two Working Groups for Governance Standard Committee at AAOIFI. He holds professional membership with the Association of Shari’ah Advisors in Islamic Finance (ASAS) and Chartered Institute of Islamic Finance Professionals (CIIF).

Mufti Yousuf holds a MSc in Islamic Finance from the Global University of Islamic Finance (INCEIF) in Malaysia and also graduated as a Mufti in Shari’ah and Islamic Jurisprudence from Jamia Shariyyah Malibag, Dhaka.

Dr. Saeed Mikael

SHARI’AH ADVISOR

Shaykh Dr. Saeed Mikael hails from Nigeria and is an Islamic Finance Researcher at the International Shari’ah Research Academy for Islamic Finance (ISRA) in Malaysia; he is also the Chairman of AlBirr Cooperative Investment and Credit Society (ACICS-Nigeria) and a Partner in Muslim Scholarship Fund of Nigeria (MSFN-Nigeria).

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In addition, Shaykh also serves as a Lecturer at the International Centre for Education in Islamic Finance (INCEIF) -The Global Islamic Finance University, as well as a short stint as a Tutor in the Islamic Law Department, AIKOL, at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM).

Shaykh Mikael has published and presented several academic works on Shari’ah and Islamic Finance with reputable publishers as well as in international conferences. He also served as an expert witness in a high profile Islamic Finance case in Malaysia in his capacity as a Consultant at ISRA Consultancy Sdn Bhd.

He holds a PhD in Islamic Finance, AIKOL, from the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) as well as a Masters of Comparative Law (MCL) from the same school. He also holds a LLB (Shari’ah from the Islamic University of Madinah in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Asmaa Resmouki ACCOUNTING & AUDITING

Ms. Asmaa Resmouki serves as the Deputy President for the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC). She has been serving on the IFAC board since November 2017 and was originally nominated to the board by the Ordre Des Experts Comptables—Morocco. In her role as Deputy President, Ms. Resmouki chairs the IFAC Planning and Finance Committee having previously chaired the board’s Governance Subcommittee prior to her election as Deputy President. Ms. Resmouki is a past President of the Pan African Federation of Accountants (PAFA). She served on the PAFA Board since 2011, as vice president and chair of the Planning, Human Capital, and Financial Committee from 2013 to 2015 and as president from 2015 to 2017. Ms. Resmouki has more than twenty-five years of experience in assurance services, including serving as audit partner in the large auditing firms (Deloitte and EY) in Morocco, where she led auditing in various industry and service sectors, including real estate, mining, pharmaceutical, consumer business, automobile, and tourism. She has extensive experience in other types of engagement, such as due diligence and valuation, agreed-upon procedures, and internal control review. During her career, she was also a finance director for a multinational company. Ms. Resmouki performed quality reviews of auditing firms within the Ordre Des Experts Comptables—Morocco from 2008 to 2011. She was also a member of the Regional Council of Chartered Accountants in Morocco from 2011 to 2014 and served as chair of the Audit Quality Review Committee. Ms. Resmouki graduated from ISCAE, Casablanca in 1989 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business; whereafter, she pursued a Masters Degree at Clark University in the USA where she graduated in 1991 with an MBA and in 2001, Ms. Resmouki became a certified Chartered Accountant from ISCAE, Casablanca.

Mufti Faraz Adam SHARI’AH ADVISOR

Mufti Faraz Adam is a well-known UK-based Islamic Finance & Fintech consultant and heads the global Shariah advisory firm Amanah Advisors. He is advising several global Islamic financial institutions spread across the UK, US, Canada, Malaysia, Singapore, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, UAE and other countries. Mufti Faraz completed a six-year Alimiyyah program (Islamic Studies) in the UK after which he went on to specialise in Islamic law and finished a Mufti course in Durban, South Africa. He holds a Master’s Degree in Islamic Finance, Banking and Management from Newman University, UK. He qualified with an MBA Diploma from the International Business Management Institute and successfully accomplished a Fintech Specialisation course from the University of Michigan. He recently achieved the ACCA Level 4 Qualification in Accounting and Business. In addition to the above, he has attained various Islamic Finance-industry qualifications such as the IFQ, CIAE (Certified Islamic Arbitrator & Expert), CIFE (Certified Islamic Finance Expert) and is a Certified Shariah Advisor and Auditor (CSAA). He is passionate about the development of the Islamic economy and serves across its various sectors such as Islamic banking, Islamic capital markets, Takaful, SME financing and Islamic social finance.

Mufti Abdul Kadir Barkatulla SENIOR SHARI’AH ADVISOR

Mufti Barkatulla is a prominent Shari’ah scholar with a strong background in Economics and Finance. He is currently a lecturer at the Ebrahim College and Shari’ah Advisor for Taqwaa Advisory and Shari’ah Investment Solutions Pty Ltd and Islamic Bank of Britain. Mufti chaired the Supervisory Committee at Lloyds Banking Group from 2008 to February 2012 and served as a Shari’ah Advisor from 2005 to February 2012 at the same group. In addition, he was also a Shari’ah Advisor for Principle Insurance Holdings Ltd from 2006-2009 and the Senior Imam at North Finchley Mosque from 1998-2006. He initially graduated in Islamic Studies at the famous Darul Uloom, Deoband, India where he was also trained as a Mufti (qualified to issue Islamic authoritative edicts) in 1974. Moving to London in 1979, he pursued his studies and attained both BSc (1985) and M Phil (1992) as one of the Shari’ah Judges at the Islamic Shari’ah Council, Mufti Barkatulla has wide experience of dealing with socio-cultural issues affecting Muslims living in the UK.

Shaykh Muhammad Carr SHARI’AH ADVISOR

Mawlānā Muhammad Carr, a well-respected figure in the Cape’s scholarly community, holds distinguished roles as an imam, author, lecturer, Islamic finance advisor, and community leader. His leadership at The Kūrānī Institute not only showcases his commitment to academic and spiritual excellence but also underscores his dedication to fostering an environment that encourages critical thinking and promotes spiritual and intellectual growth. Mawlānā Carr’s holistic approach to scholarship and community service solidifies his reputation as a respected and well-rounded figure, inspiring those around him to engage deeply with their faith and the broader societal context.

SHARIAH BOARDS

Bryte Takaful Camissa Asset Management Alexander Forbes Shariah Portfolios

Prof Muneer Abduroaf LAW & GOVERNANCE

Professor Muneer Abduroaf is an NRF C-rated researcher and Associate Professor of Private Law at the University of the Western Cape (UWC), specializing in the Law of Succession, Family Law, and Islamic Law. As a member of the Muslim Personal Law Unit within the Centre for Legal Integration in Africa (CLIA), his research focuses on Islamic law in Muslim-minority contexts. He is an editor for the DHET-accredited Asy-Syariah Journal, regularly peer-reviews for local and international journals, and presents at local and global conferences. He welcomes opportunities for academic collaboration, joint research initiatives, and professional consultations within his areas of expertise. In addition to his academic tenure, Professor Abduroaf is an admitted Attorney and Sworn Translator of the High Court of South Africa, and a registered Marriage Officer for the Department of Home Affairs. Appointed by the President of South Africa, he serves as a Commissioner for the CRL Rights Commission, a Chapter 9 constitutional institution. His legal and state portfolios are complemented by his role as an Imam and Executive Council Member of the Muslim Judicial Council (MJC), effectively bridging academic scholarship, constitutional governance, and community leadership.

Shaykh Imtiyaaz Isaacs SHARI’AH RESEARCHER

Shaykh Imtiyaaz Isaacs is currently a Lecturer at Madina Institute in Cape Town South Africa, teaching Arabic, Tajwid, Hadith & Usul Al Fiqh. He is also the Head Imam at the Rondevlei Islamic Society in Cape Town South Africa hosting traditional Islamic classes. The Shaykh completed the memorization of the Holy Qur’an at Jamʿiyyat al-Qurraʾ at the tender age of 11 years. Thereafter, he continued his studies & completed the translation of the Holy Qur’an & Islamic Studies at Dar al-Naʿim. Shaykh Imtiyaaz spent most of his youth in Egypt where he studied at the prestigious Institute of Al-Azhar; he completed his Primary School, High School & University studies at the esteemed Institute. He majored in Islamic Law at Al-Azhar University and also studied under a number of renowned Scholars around the globe, including Saudi Arabia, Cairo, Mansura, Dusooq, Turkey and Jordan where he received Sanad (authority) & Ijazah (license of teaching) for the 10 and 14 Quranic dialects (Qira’at) & many other sciences.

Shaykha Umme Roomaan Soofie SHARI’AH RESEARCHER

Shaykha Umme Roomaan is an active member of the Habibia Soofie Saheb Institute in Durban, South Africa and heads the Women’s department. She is also a member of the Institutions’ fatwa body, as well as a senior advisor to the Islamic Studies department of HSBP Institute of learning. Shaykha has hosted multiple women’s religious and educational seminars and events such as the annual Hajj seminar and lecture series throughout the year. She has travelled extensively throughout South Africa delivering discourses as a renowned religious orator. Shaykha Umme Roomaan obtained her diploma in the Arabic language from Zarqa Private university in Jordan and followed this with further studies in Arabic at the Abu Al-Noor University in Damascus, Syria. In 2008 she studied towards a Bachelors degree in Islamic Jurisprudence and its Principles from the Shaykh Nuh al-Qudah faculty of Fiqh at the World Islamic Sciences and Education University (WISE) in Amman, Jordan. She further specialised and obtained certification in Hanafi Jurisprudence and Iftaa’ from Markaz Anwar Al-Ulamah in Amman under the tutelage of Shaykh Salah Abul Haaj, and holds ijazat in Hadith sciences. Shaykha returned to South Africa in 2013 after spending 9 years in the Middle East and co-founded The Sufi Academy for Higher Islamic Education where she taught various subjects such as Fiqh, Hadith sciences, Tafseer, Arabic, Qur’anic sciences, Tajweed, and others. She has translated and commentated on various literary works from Arabic to English covering the topics of Hadith, Fiqh, Seerah and biographical sketches of our past luminaries. She has produced and presented shows on Radio al-Ansaar covering the Illustrious Sahaabah, Tasawwuf, and female scholarship in Islam. With the intention of venturing into Islamic Finance, she recently completed her Masters in Islamic Finance at INCEIF University in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and is a Certified Shari’ah Advisor & Auditor by the Accounting & Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI) based in Bahrain.

Shamiel Ahmed BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Mr Ahmed is the Head of Elham International Trading Africa, the regional office in Africa for Elham International Trading Global Operations, headquartered in Sydney Australia. The group’s operations span over a spectrum of Trade & Finance across the world. Mr Ahmed has successfully negotiated and procured G2G commodity trades as well as the financing arrangements for major projects in leading African countries including South Africa, Nigeria and Ghana. His experience in Africa and local business markets brings an exceptional advantage to the mobility of our engagements.

Mrs. Mumtaaz Isaacs TRANSLATION

Mrs. Mumtaaz Isaacs hails from Cape Town, South Africa, and has extensive experience abroad. She holds a Bachelors in Arabic as a Second Language with Honors from Selangor International Islamic University College (KUIS) in Malaysia as well as a Diploma in Islamic Studies from the International Peace University of South Africa (IPSA). In addition, during her time abroad, Mrs. Isaacs studied with local Arabic experts and scholars in Egypt and Syria to consolidate her knowledge in the Arabic language. Mrs. Isaacs is an experienced Arabic to English translator with relevant experience from translating post graduate (Masters and PhD) thesis’ of Arab students studying at reputable Universities in Malaysia to classical texts and professional Islamic finance literature. She spent three years as a Research Assistant to the Head of Translation at the International Shari’ah Research Academy for Islamic Finance (ISRA) in Malaysia where she was involved in vetting various translated classical and professional texts that was published in International Journals and Publications. She was also involved in editing the Arabic publication of the Malaysian Islamic Finance Center’s bi-monthly Insights Report on Islamic Finance during her tenure as a Consultant for ISRA Consultancy Sdn Bhd. Currently, Mrs. Isaacs manages the translation portfolio for I Consult Africa (Pty) Ltd, in South Africa, where she is in-charge of managing a team of native English, Arabic and French speakers to ensure that the company maintains a strong culture of our translation work

ACCREDITATION

Official AAOIFI Exam Centre

iConsult Africa is the official AAOIFI candidate registration and examination centre in Cape Town — you sit the qualification here, with us. AAOIFI Fellows are a professional community of more than 2,800 members in 74 countries. The qualifications bring Shari’ah, accounting, audit and governance together under AAOIFI Standards, and are recognised by regulators and Islamic financial institutions worldwide.

2,800+ AAOIFI Fellows worldwide

74 Countries represented

OUR CLIENTS AND PARTNERS

Our Vision is to be Your Premium Shari'ah Partner — embedded in scholarship, rigour and delivery. → TALK TO US TODAY

ICA Trading Inc is the business arm of iConsult Africa, focused on strategic business relationships that enable cross-border cooperation between sovereign and corporate partners. Incorporated in Labuan, ICA Trading Inc gives clients a route to build trade relationships from South East Asia into the Middle East and Africa.

SERVICES

01 Commodity trading brokering

02 Securities and financial instruments negotiator

03 G2G trade relations

04 Transactional advisory

PARTNER WITH US

Get in touch with iConsult.

Contact our Shari'ah Info Desk for all things Shari'ah.

Address Cape Town, South Africa

Office hours Mon–Fri · 09:00–16:00

Email admin@iconsult.africa

Phone +27 71 541 9078

OUR BRANCHES

Global identity, local standards.

SOUTH AFRICA Cape Town

Unit 5, The Caledonian, 2 Range Road,
Kenwyn, Cape Town, 7790
South Africa

MALAYSIA Labuan

Lot A020, Level 1, Podium Level, Financial Park, Jalan Merdeka, 87000
Labuan F.T., Malaysia.

UNITED KINGDOM London

00110
1 Giltspur Street Farringdon,
London,
United Kingdom,
EClA 9

iConsult Africa — Shariah compliance and Islamic finance advisory

A legacy built on integrity, scholarship and Shariah principle.

Intelligent compliance for sustainable trust.

The principles behind every resolution.

BUILDING COMPLIANCE

iCONSULT BRAND

The Garden of Knowledge

Meet the Team

Dr. Ziyaad Mahomed

Shaykh Ziyaat Isaacs

Mufti Yousuf Sultan

Dr. Saeed Mikael

Official AAOIFI Exam Centre

Get in touch with iConsult.

Global identity, local standards.