Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr (CDH) continues to dominate as one of South Africa’s top M&A legal advisers, according to the Ansarada DealMakers Annual Awards, held at the Sandton Convention Centre on 21 February 2023.

For the last 13 out of 14 years, CDH has won the DealMakers Listed M&A Deal Flow award, demonstrating exceptional consistency by remaining the preferred M&A legal advisers to more listed clients than any other corporate legal advisory firm in the market.

CDH CEO Brent Williams says, “The M&A landscape in 2022 saw a general decline when compared to the previous year, but despite less-than-ideal conditions, I am proud to see the determination from our practitioners as they put our clients in the best position to come out on top in their various deal activities.”

Over the course of 2022, CDH advised on 37 listed M&A deals with a combined value of over R89-billion. This saw CDH assume a listed M&A deal flow market share of 17.62%. Williams believes this is proof that, while each year may present its own unique set of challenges, there are still deal opportunities in the South African market.

CDH’s top honours achieved at the 2023 Ansarada DealMakers Annual Awards, included:

• 2022 1st by Listed M&A Deal Flow.
• 2022 3rd by Listed M&A Deal Value, Unlisted M&A Deal Value, Unlisted M&A Deal Flow and General Corporate Finance Deal Value.

In addition, CDH was legal advisers in two shortlisted ‘DealMakers Brunswick Deal of the Year 2022’ transactions. Firstly, for our work for PSG Group on a deal, comprising the unbundling of all PSG Group’s shares in the following entities listed on the JSE, PSG Konsult, Kaap Agri, Curro, Stadio and CA Sales, and the repurchase of shares from the majority of shareholders of PSG Group, followed by the delisting of PSG Group from the JSE. Secondly, for acting as the South African legal advisor to Mediclinic International Plc, in respect of the proposed acquisition by Manta Bidco Limited, a newly formed company owned by joint offerors Remgro and a wholly owned subsidiary of MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company SA of all the shares in Mediclinic held by shareholders other than Remgro, that will result in the delisting of Mediclinic from the London Stock Exchange, the JSE and the Namibian Stock Exchange. 

“We are proud to stand among the giants of industry and compete in an ever-changing and fluctuating marketplace. Our strength has always been in our dominance in deal flow and 2022 was no different. Agility has been the key and we will continue to serve our clients with astute and agile legal solutions,” says Williams.

Director and National Head of CDH’s Corporate & Commercial practice, Willem Jacobs, says this year’s DealMakers Awards has “demonstrated the firm’s ability to keep up the momentum and deliver value where it matters most.”

“With an entrenched history in numerous sectors, combined with our M&A expertise and experience, we have been able to deftly navigate deals and deal flow without hesitation and with the utmost confidence,” says Jacobs.

Managing Partner at CDH’s Kenya office, Sammy Ndolo is also pleased by this year’s DealMakers results. “As a cross-continental practice, deal flow is crucial as it enables investors to identify attractive opportunities, build relationships with stakeholders, and mitigate risk in a complex business environment. This is what our continent needs and this is what we can deliver,” says Ndolo.

Regarding the year ahead, Williams says, “We are ready to tackle 2023 with the same tenacity and astuteness that we always have. Our economic outlook is one that challenges all industries, so deals will need to be made that benefit our economic recovery along with the prosperity of our clients and their potential partners.”