PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) has announced the closure of its operations in nine Sub-Saharan African countries. The accounting and management firm disclosed this in a statement on its website, citing the outcome of a strategic review aimed at streamlining its global network.

The affected countries include the Ivory Coast, Gabon, Cameroon, Madagascar, Senegal, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Republic of Congo, the Republic of Guinea, and Equatorial Guinea.

The company also said the decision was informed by the broader strategy to concentrate on markets with long-term growth prospects.

It said it was for now concentrating its operations in key markets in Africa like Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa, but also expressed it confidence in long-term growth prospects of the continent.

While PwC’s official announcement did not specify reasons for the withdrawal, the Financial Times reported that mounting differences with local partners contributed to the decision.

According to the report, these partners claimed they lost over a third of their business in recent years due to pressure from PwC’s global executives to drop clients deemed too risky.

The FT, citing a register of PwC entities and local news reports, indicated that PwC has also severed ties with member firms in Zimbabwe, Malawi, and Fiji. The publication suggested that countries were deemed “too small, risky or unprofitable” to maintain operations.