Mergers and Acquisitions

We have a strong record of acting on the most significant corporate and M&A transactions across the African continent. This is because our size and geographic spread combined with our breadth of skills, experience and good relationships with regulators, enables us to handle large and time-critical transactions.

According to the Legal 500, we have “a pan-African scope” to our “corporate practice”. Our “ability to service inbound investors and multinationals” has enabled us “to tap into the growth in Chinese and US investment across Africa”.

Our services include public acquisitions, private equity transactions, joint ventures, unbundlings and other investments and divestitures including public M&A, both contested and uncontested, and private M&As.

We also have considerable expertise in the fields of privatisation and public-to- private transactions and have advised shareholders becoming more active in the management of their companies. In South Africa, we have been involved in the structuring and implementation of complex black economic empowerment transactions.

We represent participants in transactions in virtually all capacities – purchasers, sellers, financiers, financial advisers, directors and shareholders.

In most cases we project manage the entire transaction which includes conducting a legal due diligence investigation, providing strategic advice, negotiating terms, drafting documentation and assisting with the implementation of the transaction from a legal point of view.

Our clients range from listed and unlisted domestic and international corporations, banks and financial institutions, to state-owned enterprises and government departments and their agencies.

We have also served as local counsel for a range of international financial institutions and corporates, as well as international law firms and merchant banks.

• Bowmans advises Associated British Foods on R5.6 billion acquisition of entire share capital of Illovo Sugar
• Bowmans advises the Africa Health Fund LLC
• Bowmans advises Exova Group (UK) Limited as South African counsel in respect of its acquisition of shares in Jones Environmental Forensic
• Bowmans advises acquirer of iNova Pharmaceuticals business in relation to South Africa
• Bowmans advises ChemChina on Africa Merger Filings in fifth largest global M&A transaction of 2016
• Bowmans advises tourism project developer Zhonghong in relation to acquisition of stake in Abercrombie & Kent
• Bowmans advises Sanlam Emerging Markets on expansion in East Africa
• Bowmans advises Kansai Plascon Africa on its acquisition of 100% of Sadolin Paints
• Bowmans advises Abraaj Group in relation to Java House Acquisition from ECP
• Bowmans advises Kenya Airways on USD 2.3 billion turnaround strategy
• Sibanye Gold’s USD 1 Billion Rights Offering and USD 1 Billion Bond Offering to Finance Stillwater Mining Acquisition
• Bowmans advises Weetabix Group on asset disposal
• Bowmans advises East Africa Bottling Share Company on intra-group share transfer
• Bowmans advises Appletiser South Africa on share disposal
• Bowmans advises Coca-Cola Beverages Africa and subsidiary on acquisition of shares in Ethiopian East Africa Bottling Share Company
• Bowmans advises Superior Homes (Kenya) on further acquisition of shares in it by Cytonn Inestment Partners Fifteen LLP
• Bowmans advises General Motors South African on disposal of Isuzu business
• Bowmans advises merging parties in relation to acquisition of joint control of CTA Travel and Kuoni Holdings by Canadian Private Equity Investors
• Bowmans advises HNA Group on the African competition elements of its acquisition of shares in CWT Limited
• Bowmans advises the Public Investment Corporation SOC on its acquisition of shares in Kenya Electricity Generating Company Limited
• Bowmans advises Chevron Global Energy on disposal of interest in Chevron South Africa and Chevron Botswana
• Bowmans advises Tyco International on R1.9 billion equity disposal in ADT Security
• Bowmans advises Aveng in relation to R860 million disposal of infrastructure assets to Royal Bafokeng Holdings
• Lucapa Diamond Company Limited
• Bowmans advises Safran S.A. as competition counsel on the acquisition of Zodiac Aerospace S.A.
• Bowmans advises AB InBev on its USD 3.15 billion disposal of its stake in Coca-Cola Beverages Africa
• Bowmans advises SABMiller on consolidation of non-alcoholic beverages bottling operations to create the biggest bottler of soft drinks in Africa
• Bowmans advises SABMiller on third largest global M&A transaction in history (in 2016) valued at USD 102 billion
• Bowmans advises Oger Telecom Limited in relation to its proposed disinvestment of its majority stake in Cell C
• Bowmans advises as local counsel on acquisition of La Compagnie d’Exploitation des Services Auxiliaires Aériens S.A by HNA Aviation Group
• Bowmans advises Schneider Electric on disposal of shares in Conlog to JSE-listed company CIG
• Bowmans advises SABMiller in relation to acquisition by AB InBev
• Bowmans advises Dis-Chem on second largest IPO on the JSE in 2016
• Bowmans advises Car & General and Cummins BV joint venture in Kenya
• Bowmans advises GlaxoSmithKline on accelerated bookbuild relating to its Aspen Pharmacare disposal valued at R8.4 billion
• Rockwood
• Bowmans advises World Triathlon Corporation and Ironman Epic Holdings on their acquisition of company responsible for the ABSA Cape Epic, the world’s foremost mountain-bike stage race
• Bowmans advise Kleoss Capital on acquisition of Stake in Real Foods
• Bowmans advises the SPAR BBBEE Employee Trust on accelerated bookbuild offering
• Bowmans advises Indian multinational Tata Communications on ZAR 6.55 billion disposal of equity in Neotel
• Kleoss Fund I
• ARM Cement Limited
• Africinvest
• Bowmans advises Plum LLP in relation to Britam acquisition
• Bowmans advises Associated British Foods in relation to acquisition of 100% equity stake in Illovo Sugar
• African Agriculture Fund, a private equity fund managed by Phatisa Fund Managers Limited
• Bowmans advises Clicks in asset for share transaction relating to BTB Media, Clicks Mobile Communications and Sorbet
• Convergence Partners Investments Proprietary Limited
• Bowmans advises as South African counsel to KIK Custom Products Inc. on its acquisition of the Prestone Group
• Catalyst Principal Partners
• Bowmans advises Choppies Supermarkets on acquisition of retail business of Jwayelani Retail valued at R189 million
• Rio Tinto International Holdings Limited
• OMP Africa Investment Company Proprietary Limited
• Abraaj, AfricInvest, Swedfund and UAP Holdings Limited
• Teraco Data Environments
• Bowmans advises as Africa competition counsel on USD 6,335 million acquisition of control of United Arab Shipping Company (S.A.G)