By Colleen Goko and Olivia Kumwenda-Mtambo

JOHANNESBURG, May 28 - Consultancy firm Alvarez & Marsal has launched its first African office in Cape Town, targeting a continent drawing investor interest amid a global scramble for critical minerals used in defence, electronics and the energy transition.

Competition for minerals between China and the West has turned attention towards resource-rich African states. The Iran conflict, meanwhile, has highlighted the region's inadequate energy infrastructure in the face of volatile global prices.

The African team will support clients across infrastructure, energy, mining and industrial sectors, A&M said.

"We are seeing the flow of potential funds coming to Africa and what we do basically is to help companies to have their plans and attract these funds. Once they have the projects ..., we help them to deliver," Marcos Ganut, A&M's global head of infrastructure and capital projects, told Reuters on Thursday.

The Cape Town office, launched this week, currently employs 20 staff, with plans to exceed 100 within three years, said Johan van der Westhuyzen, who leads A&M's new Africa office after 15 years in the Middle East.

China's restrictions on mineral exports with potential military applications have spurred rivals like the U.S. to seek alternative supply chains, driving investment toward Africa.

Drawing on its experience in Brazil, where it worked on liberalising the power sector, A&M aims to address challenges such as infrastructure inefficiencies and competency gaps.

"We are not pushing the flag of let's privatise everything," Ganut added. "What we're pushing is efficiency and execution."

Globally, A&M's infrastructure division comprises over 1,000 professionals across a near 15,000-member firm.