Finance & Banking Law
CDH has one of the top finance and banking teams in South Africa and Kenya and our excellent technical understanding is coupled with practical expertise and a strong commercial focus.
Finance & Banking Law Services
Our finance and banking advice and services cover:
- Debt capital markets.
- Project finance.
- Public-private partnerships.
- Commodity trade finance.
- Acquisition finance.
- General banking and investment structures.
- Pensions and employee benefits.
- Lending arrangements.
- Compliance.
Finance and banking advice and services
- Debt capital markets
- Project finance
- Public-private partnerships
- Commodity trade finance
- Acquisition finance
- General banking and investment structures
- Pensions and employee benefits
- Lending arrangements
- Compliance
Debt Capital Markets
Our Debt Capital Markets practitioners serve as legal counsel to South Africa's major banking groups and a number of major international banks.
Financial Services
Our Financial Services service represents some of the largest international banks and all the major banking groups in South Africa, has a strong team of practitioners who offer comprehensive and strategic advice in all areas of financial services.
Finance & Banking Law Video
The CDH Finance & Banking team led by Practice Head, Mashudu Mphafudi, has over the years worked on many ground-breaking matters. The team includes lawyers with experience in all areas of finance and banking and works together to provide legal services and advice across this dynamic and complex sector.
Watch as Mashudu introduces this highly qualified team that delivers finance and banking services across various sectors of the economy with a diverse range of legal expertise.
Finance & Banking Law Brochures
Services
Finance & Banking Law Services
Our finance and banking advice and services cover:
- Debt capital markets.
- Project finance.
- Public-private partnerships.
- Commodity trade finance.
- Acquisition finance.
- General banking and investment structures.
- Pensions and employee benefits.
- Lending arrangements.
- Compliance.
Finance and banking advice and services
- Debt capital markets
- Project finance
- Public-private partnerships
- Commodity trade finance
- Acquisition finance
- General banking and investment structures
- Pensions and employee benefits
- Lending arrangements
- Compliance
Debt Capital Markets
Our Debt Capital Markets practitioners serve as legal counsel to South Africa's major banking groups and a number of major international banks.
Financial Services
Our Financial Services service represents some of the largest international banks and all the major banking groups in South Africa, has a strong team of practitioners who offer comprehensive and strategic advice in all areas of financial services.
Video
Finance & Banking Law Video
The CDH Finance & Banking team led by Practice Head, Mashudu Mphafudi, has over the years worked on many ground-breaking matters. The team includes lawyers with experience in all areas of finance and banking and works together to provide legal services and advice across this dynamic and complex sector.
Watch as Mashudu introduces this highly qualified team that delivers finance and banking services across various sectors of the economy with a diverse range of legal expertise.
Brochures
Finance & Banking Law Brochures
Finance & Banking Lawyers
CDH finance and banking services and advice cover debt capital markets, project finance, public-private partnerships (PPPs), commodity trade finance, acquisition finance, general banking and investment structures, and pension and employee benefits
Our Finance & Banking LawyersOur Work
Featured

Enyuka Prop Holdings Proprietary Limited
CDH's Finance & Banking practice advised Nedbank, RMB and Futuregrowth in relation to the provision of ZAR1,3 billion funding to Enyuka Prop Holdings for the purposes of the repurchase of all shares previously held by Emira Property Fund Limited in Enyuka Prop Holdings and the refinancing of certain existing debt.

Mauritius Commercial Bank Limited
Our team advised MCB in relation to the security release of certain secured petroleum assets that the borrower was selling to a third party.

Deevabits Green Energy (DGE)
Our team advised Deevabits Green Energy on the financial facilities it received from SIMA.

Silica
Our team advised on all local law aspect of merger control and guided the client in successfully obtaining a positive competition authority advisory opinion allowing the transaction whilst addressing very technical points of law and fact.

SunFunder (Arranger, Agent and Security Agent) and the Finance Parties
Our team advised the arranger, agent and security agent and the syndicate of lenders on the local law aspects of the financing to SunCulture.

UIF and the Land & Agricultural Development Bank of SA
Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr represented Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF), a fund provided by the South African Government for short term unemployment; and Land Bank, the specialist agricultural bank guided by a Government mandate to provide financial services to the commercial farming sector and to agri-business.
All
Lonmin
Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr is representing Lonmin, the leading UK-based producer of platinum group metals. Our South Africa-based banking & finance team is advising Lonmin on the innovative ZAR 3 billion refinancing of senior lenders through a prepaid metals purchase funding solution from Jiangxi Copper Corporation.
Rand Merchant Bank (RMB)
Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr represented RMB, the leading South Africa-based merchant bank. Our South Africa-based banking & finance team provided RMB with combined acquisition finance, tax structuring, real estate and banking expertise in connection with RMB’s funding of a portion of investments by KC and Vulindlela into a new property listed REIT vehicle set up by Growthpoint with ring-fenced mezzanine facilities split between vanilla loan and Hybrid Debt Instruments under Section 8FA of the Income Tax Act.
Harmony Gold Mine
Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr is representing Harmony Gold Mine, the leading South Africa-based global gold mining and exploration company. Our South Africa-based banking & finance team is advising Harmony Gold Mine regarding converting the funding from secured to unsecured, releasing security and negotiating new facilities syndicated, multi-tranche, multi-currency, sustainability linked term loans (including a green loans loan of up to ZAR 1.5 billion and a US$ term loan of up to US$100 million) and sustainability linked (ESG) revolving credit facilities (including a ZAR revolving credit facility of up to ZAR 2.5 billion and a US$ revolving credit facility of up to US$300 million).
Public Investment Corporation (PIC); Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa (IDC); and Noble Resources International
Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr is representing PIC, the South African state-owned entity with circa ZAR 2 trillion-plus of assets under management; IDC, the South Africa-based national development finance institution set up to promote economic growth and industrial development by the Government of South Africa; and Noble Resources International, the leading South Africa-based industrial raw materials supplier. Our South Africa-based banking & finance team is advising these clients as lender’s counsel, conducting legal due diligence and advising on various mining contract packages such as the coal supply, the EPC contract, coal off take agreements with Eskom, in a transaction that will create over 3,000 direct jobs to revitalise the economy of South Africa.
Various Banks
Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr represented Absa Bank; the Development Bank of South Africa; Investec Bank; Standard Bank of South Africa; Nedbank; and First Rand Bank, the leading South Africa-based financial institutions. Our South Africa-based banking & finance team acted as lenders' counsel to these clients in relation to a transaction with Trans‑Caledon Tunnel Authority (TCTA) in terms of which the lenders provided various term facilities in an aggregate amount of ZAR 15.2 billion to TCTA for purposes of funding the Integrated Vaal River System comprising Phases 1 and 2 of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project and the Acid Mine Drainage Project. The transaction had to be implemented within a highly-regulated environment within which TCTA's operates. The key regulatory issues for our clients related to the enforceability of the finance documents.
Absa Bank
Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr represented Absa Bank, the leading South Africa-based financial services group. Our South Africa-based banking & finance team acted as lead lender counsel for Absa Bank in relation to its provision of a development loan facilities Newlyn Investments Proprietary (Newlyn) in an aggregate amount of circa ZAR 1.57 billion to finance the development, construction, operation and management of an industrial warehouses facility to be located In Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa.
Our Work

Enyuka Prop Holdings Proprietary Limited
CDH's Finance & Banking practice advised Nedbank, RMB and Futuregrowth in relation to the provision of ZAR1,3 billion funding to Enyuka Prop Holdings for the purposes of the repurchase of all shares previously held by Emira Property Fund Limited in Enyuka Prop Holdings and the refinancing of certain existing debt.

Mauritius Commercial Bank Limited
Our team advised MCB in relation to the security release of certain secured petroleum assets that the borrower was selling to a third party.

Deevabits Green Energy (DGE)
Our team advised Deevabits Green Energy on the financial facilities it received from SIMA.

Silica
Our team advised on all local law aspect of merger control and guided the client in successfully obtaining a positive competition authority advisory opinion allowing the transaction whilst addressing very technical points of law and fact.

SunFunder (Arranger, Agent and Security Agent) and the Finance Parties
Our team advised the arranger, agent and security agent and the syndicate of lenders on the local law aspects of the financing to SunCulture.

UIF and the Land & Agricultural Development Bank of SA
Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr represented Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF), a fund provided by the South African Government for short term unemployment; and Land Bank, the specialist agricultural bank guided by a Government mandate to provide financial services to the commercial farming sector and to agri-business.
Lonmin
Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr is representing Lonmin, the leading UK-based producer of platinum group metals. Our South Africa-based banking & finance team is advising Lonmin on the innovative ZAR 3 billion refinancing of senior lenders through a prepaid metals purchase funding solution from Jiangxi Copper Corporation.
Rand Merchant Bank (RMB)
Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr represented RMB, the leading South Africa-based merchant bank. Our South Africa-based banking & finance team provided RMB with combined acquisition finance, tax structuring, real estate and banking expertise in connection with RMB’s funding of a portion of investments by KC and Vulindlela into a new property listed REIT vehicle set up by Growthpoint with ring-fenced mezzanine facilities split between vanilla loan and Hybrid Debt Instruments under Section 8FA of the Income Tax Act.
Harmony Gold Mine
Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr is representing Harmony Gold Mine, the leading South Africa-based global gold mining and exploration company. Our South Africa-based banking & finance team is advising Harmony Gold Mine regarding converting the funding from secured to unsecured, releasing security and negotiating new facilities syndicated, multi-tranche, multi-currency, sustainability linked term loans (including a green loans loan of up to ZAR 1.5 billion and a US$ term loan of up to US$100 million) and sustainability linked (ESG) revolving credit facilities (including a ZAR revolving credit facility of up to ZAR 2.5 billion and a US$ revolving credit facility of up to US$300 million).
Public Investment Corporation (PIC); Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa (IDC); and Noble Resources International
Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr is representing PIC, the South African state-owned entity with circa ZAR 2 trillion-plus of assets under management; IDC, the South Africa-based national development finance institution set up to promote economic growth and industrial development by the Government of South Africa; and Noble Resources International, the leading South Africa-based industrial raw materials supplier. Our South Africa-based banking & finance team is advising these clients as lender’s counsel, conducting legal due diligence and advising on various mining contract packages such as the coal supply, the EPC contract, coal off take agreements with Eskom, in a transaction that will create over 3,000 direct jobs to revitalise the economy of South Africa.
Various Banks
Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr represented Absa Bank; the Development Bank of South Africa; Investec Bank; Standard Bank of South Africa; Nedbank; and First Rand Bank, the leading South Africa-based financial institutions. Our South Africa-based banking & finance team acted as lenders' counsel to these clients in relation to a transaction with Trans‑Caledon Tunnel Authority (TCTA) in terms of which the lenders provided various term facilities in an aggregate amount of ZAR 15.2 billion to TCTA for purposes of funding the Integrated Vaal River System comprising Phases 1 and 2 of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project and the Acid Mine Drainage Project. The transaction had to be implemented within a highly-regulated environment within which TCTA's operates. The key regulatory issues for our clients related to the enforceability of the finance documents.
Absa Bank
Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr represented Absa Bank, the leading South Africa-based financial services group. Our South Africa-based banking & finance team acted as lead lender counsel for Absa Bank in relation to its provision of a development loan facilities Newlyn Investments Proprietary (Newlyn) in an aggregate amount of circa ZAR 1.57 billion to finance the development, construction, operation and management of an industrial warehouses facility to be located In Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa.
Finance & Banking Law News
More newsThe borrowing powers of universities
In recent years, South African universities have increasingly been borrowing large sums of money to fund their major infrastructure projects or working capital requirements. In this article, the source of public higher educational institutions’ (referred to as universities) borrowing powers is discussed.
Rooftop solar: Energy bounce back loan guarantee scheme
Professor Anton Eberhard estimates that as of June 2023, households and businesses have installed 4,412 MWs of rooftop solar. Not only is this double the capacity of Eskom under its four previous Renewable Independent Power Producer Programme (REIPPP) but nearly a 350% increase of the installed capacity by households and businesses since March 2022. Although households and businesses who have the means to install rooftop solar will continue to do so, there remains a funding gap that still requires government intervention.
WOZA Podcast Three - Turning the tide
Join CDH Conversations for the third and final episode of the CDH and WOZA Women in Law podcast series, hosted by Senior Associate, Muwanwa Ramanyimi.
Recognition
2021-2023
Chambers Global
Chambers Global 2021-2023 ranked our Finance & Banking practice in Band 2 for capital markets: equity and Band 2 for capital markets: debt. From 2013–2020 our Finance & Banking practice was ranked in Band 1 for capital markets: equity and Band 2 for capital markets: debt.
2017–2023
Chambers Global
Chambers Global 2017–2023 ranked our practice in Band 2 for banking & finance.
2009–2023
The Legal 500 EMEA
The Legal 500 EMEA 2009–2023 recommended our practice in Tier 2 for banking & finance.
2016–2022
IFLR1000
IFLR1000 2016–2022 ranked our practice in Tier 2 for banking and project finance.
2014–2022
IFLR1000
IFLR1000 2014–2022 ranked our practice in Tier 2 for capital markets.

Chambers Global
Chambers Global 2021-2023 ranked our Finance & Banking practice in Band 2 for capital markets: equity and Band 2 for capital markets: debt. From 2013–2020 our Finance & Banking practice was ranked in Band 1 for capital markets: equity and Band 2 for capital markets: debt.
Chambers Global
Chambers Global 2017–2023 ranked our practice in Band 2 for banking & finance.
The Legal 500 EMEA
The Legal 500 EMEA 2009–2023 recommended our practice in Tier 2 for banking & finance.
IFLR1000
IFLR1000 2016–2022 ranked our practice in Tier 2 for banking and project finance.
IFLR1000
IFLR1000 2014–2022 ranked our practice in Tier 2 for capital markets.
Happy Clients

"Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr are highly customer-centric and highly responsive to our requirements."
Chambers Global 2023

"They will walk the proverbial extra mile for their clients."
Chambers 2023

"Their service levels are exceptional."
Chambers Global 2023
‘I found the team to be very proactive in transactions, ensuring that technical issues are anticipated and resolved timeously. They were always responsive and made sure that expectations were managed accordingly.’
The Legal 500 EMEA
Unbelievable work ethic – turnaround times are prompt and the content accurate. They deliver consistently, are pro-active, and they go the extra mile in engaging other areas within the firm to provide guidance.
The Legal 500 EMEA
Helping you from vision to fruition.
Related Expertise

Debt Capital Markets
We support banking groups and international banks on their debt capital markets requirements.

Financial Services
CDH’s lawyers works with clients in financial services to help them achieve their commercial aims.

Pensions & Employee Benefits
Our Pensions & Employee Benefits team works with skilled lawyers from across the firm to provide expert advice and solutions.