On 17 November 2023 the Department of Water and Sanitation published the long overdue suite of proposed amendments to the National Water Act, 1998 (the Act). If the draft National Water Amendment Bill (B – 2023) (the Bill) is adopted in its current form it may address some of the most pertinent gaps and legislative … Read more

“You are going to invest in Africa, the question is whether you are going to do so today or in twenty years’ time”. Investment focused on the world’s youngest demographic is inevitable, and the fact that foreign investment remains restrained for the time being makes it the best time to deploy capital. However, investors should … Read more

Our #FDIFriday podcast series continues, bringing together experts from our Global Foreign Investment Regulation Group to discuss the rapidly-evolving FDI regulatory landscape in accessible, digestible podcast episodes. This week our experts discuss practical insights into foreign investment regulation in South Africa, drawing on their experience of the review process. All episodes released so far can be found … Read more

There are so many ESG-related publications and developments that it is hard to keep abreast of them all. For this reason, HSF publishes a monthly tracker of ESG-related publications and developments, with a primary focus on developments that may be of most interest to or impact our clients in the Southern African Development Community, be … Read more

The following article by Martin Kavanagh, a partner based in our London office and the co-Head of the firm’s Africa Practice Group, was first published by Business Day ahead of AOW 2023, which took place in Cape Town in October 2023. Herbert Smith Freehills sponsored the Finance and M&A Forum and our partners played key roles on five … Read more

Political instability has been increasing across Francophone Africa for a number of years, notably as a result of a string of coups d’état across West Africa. Recent takeovers by the military in Niger and Gabon have further elevated concerns about further instability across the continent. On 6 October, the Johannesburg office of Herbert Smith Freehills … Read more

Herbert Smith Freehills’ London Finance team is advising the Government of Malawi through its Malawi Off-Grid Market Development Fund or Ngwee Ngwee Ngwee Fund in relation to a US$ 14 million loan facility and a US$ 6 million results-based grant, provided to five private sector solar companies in order to expand the availability of electricity … Read more

There are so many ESG-related publications and developments that it is hard to keep abreast of them all. For this reason, HSF publishes a monthly tracker of ESG-related publications and developments, with a primary focus on developments that may be of most interest to or impact our clients in the Southern African Development Community, be … Read more