My Trade companies got disbanded, why?

[byebytoad]

I just realized noticing I had only 7 merchants instead of 9 as I used to have in this campaign, that my Trade companies have been somehow disbanded. Only one didn't get disbanded: the West India company.
The 3 that got disbanded are the 3 African ones.
Does anybody know how that happened?

It's also weird that I can't reform them, except the South African charter one.
Obviously I didn't create states in those regions.

 

[Bouchart]

Did you move your capital to Africa?

 

[byebytoad]

Did you move your capital to Africa?

yes, I wanted to create 2 client states in tunisia and Algeria (playing as Italy) and that was the only way.
Thanks for the help

 

[Irridan]

Then that is the reason why: you can't have trade companies on the same continent as your capital.

 

[ShoGuL]

They really should remove the artificial same-continent limiter :/

It's terrible for gameplay that you have to move your capital away from your home continent if you play in Africa or Asia. Totally destroys immersion.