Clifford Chance
Our Southern Africa practice provides legal advice across Anglophone Africa (Botswana, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe) and Lusophone Africa (Angola, Cabo Verde, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Mozambique).
Our approach to delivering advice across Southern Africa and Lusophone Africa is through a combination of leading international benchmarking and local relationships. This model is one which we hold out as being 'best in class' amongst our peers as it brings together the most relevant expertise from the most suitable law firm, sourced at an appropriate price with us coordinating a 'one-stop shop' approach. We pride ourselves on our significant track record of major African deals where we have acted as an international counsel in close and fruitful cooperation with top African law firms in the region, with whom we maintain robust and close relationships.
A business-minded approach – our aim is to be responsive, constructive and efficient, focusing on finding effective solutions to legal and commercial problems.
We advise our clients across a full range of legal services (complex finance and project finance, capital markets, restructuring, M&A, and dispute resolution) and across a wide variety of industries (energy and natural resources, infrastructure, banks and financial services, private equity, telecommunications, TECH).
Our lawyers from across the Clifford Chance network work together to:
- provide seasoned international advice locally. Our global experience allows us to bring sophisticated advice in a local context.
- get the deal through. Our experts understand the local environment and put to use our proven methodology when it comes to dealing with the governments and the relevant regulatory bodies to get the deal through.
- advise on both inbound and outbound work. We boast strong relationships with many of the leading banks and corporate institutions in the region, advising on both inbound and outbound work. For instance, we have advised South African banks (Rand Merchant Bank, Barclays/Absa, Standard Bank) on various financings and project financings in Nigeria, Ghana, Mozambique, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Zambia.
Our core areas of focus across Southern Africa
Projects
Our recent experience includes advising:
- the Government of the Republic of Namibia on a pioneering US$10 billion agreement to develop sub-Saharan Africa's largest green hydrogen project
- Lender group comprising both South African banks and IFI/DFIs on the on the financing of the US$1.2 billion Redstone concentrated solar power plant
- sponsors and lenders, on a large number of REIPPP projects in South Africa
- on the financing for the design and construction of 3 district hospitals and 108 health centers in Zambia
- IFC on US$165 million ESG financing of pan-African ceramics tile manufacturing project
- On the US$825 million financing of the Maamba Collieries Power Generation Project in Zambia
Corporate / M&A / Private Equity
Our recent experience includes advising:
- Actis on the US$1 billion sale of Africa's second largest renewables company, BTE Renewables ('BTE'), to Engie and Meridiam
- Sinosteel Group Corporation Ltd. on the merger control filings for its acquisition of control of South Africa-based Samancor Chrome
- DP World on its proposed acquisition of Imperial Logistics
- Medical Credit Fund on the establishment of MCF II, its second fund fully dedicated to the African health sector
- Actis on its acquisition of BTE Renewables, a South Africa-based, pan-African renewable energy company which owns wind farms and solar parks in South Africa and across the continent
Capital Markets
Our recent experience includes advising:
- the Development Bank of Southern Africa on the issue of its first green bonds for an amount of €200m
- on the inaugural US$500 million sukuk issuance by the Republic of South Africa
- Libstar, a South African food and household products maker, on its IPO and Johannesburg Stock Exchange listing, the largest South African IPO of the year 2018
- the underwriters on the IPO and dual London and Johannesburg listing of Vivo Energy, the largest Africa focused IPO in over a decade
- several South African banks (Absa, Nedbank, Investec, Standard Bank) on the establishment of their debt issuance programmes and subsequent issues and updates thereunder
Restructuring
Our recent experience includes advising:
- the RCF lenders in connection with the restructuring of EdCon's highly complex capital structure, including addressing issues around five tranches of high yield notes (EUR, RAND and USD denominated)
- a working group of South African lenders to the Steinhoff Group in the context of its refinancing and debt push-down
More information
Awards
- Power Finance Deal of the Year 2024 – Lephalale Solar Power Project, South Africa – Bonds, Loans & ESG Capital Markets Africa Awards
- Export Finance Deal of the Year 2024 – EUR 256m Financing of 3 Hospitals, Angola – Bonds, Loans & ESG Capital Markets Africa Awards
- Project Finance Deal of the Year 2022 – Temane Power Project, Mozambique – IFLR Africa Awards
- Africa-wide Corporate Law Firm of the Year 2022 – Chambers Africa Awards
- Africa Power Deal of the Year 2021 – Temane Power Project, Mozambique – IJ Global Awards
- African Power Deal of the Year 2021 – Temane Power Project, Mozambique – PFI Awards
- Africa Renewables Deal of the Year 2021 – Redstone CSP, South Africa – IJ Global Awards
- Africa Water Deal of the Year 2021 – DBSA Green Bond, South Africa – IJ Global Awards
- ESG Energy Deal of the Year APAC & Africa 2021 – DBSA Green Bond, South Africa – IJ Global ESG Awards
- Capital Markets Legal Adviser of the Year 2021 – Bonds, Loans & Sukuk Africa Awards
- Private Equity Team of the Year 2021 – IFLR Africa Awards
- M&A Team of the Year 2021 – IFLR Africa Awards
- Restructuring Team of the Year 2021 – IFLR Africa Awards
- Project Finance: Energy, Infrastructure, Natural Resources Team of the Year 2020 – IFLR Sub-Saharan Africa Awards
