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Riza Moosa
Director

Riza Moosa

Head of Banking & Finance

Languages
  • English
Social media

Riza is a banking and finance lawyer with 22 years of experience, specialising in banking and finance, business rescue, insolvency and restructuring transactions.  

He co-founded the law firm, CMS South Africa, having previously headed Banking & Finance at the South African branch of an international law firm. 

Riza advises on complex high-value domestic cross-border banking and finance transactions and leads large multi-disciplinary teams in complicated debt restructuring, business rescue and refinancing transactions. 

His sector expertise is broad and includes financial services, mining and commodities, retail and Islamic finance. 

Market praise includes "very responsive and proactive", with one client attesting: "The quality of his legal work is top class". Clients also consider him "a leading expert on Islamic transactions and structuring". He is described by peers as "a versatile lawyer" who is "practical in his approach". Another source added: "I find Riza one of the few people who is able to excel and use different aspects of the law to make a solution work" - Chambers, South Africa, 2024.
 

Awards & Recognitions
01
  • Quote
    I find Riza one of the few people who is able to excel and use different aspects of the law to make a solution work
    Chambers & Partners | 2020
  • Quote
    a versatile lawyer who is practical in his approach
    Chambers & Partners | 2020
  • Quote
    The quality of his legal work is top class.
    Chambers & Partners | 2015
  • Quote
    extremely efficient, commercial, pragmatic and easy to work with
    Chambers & Partners | 2017
  • Quote
    a leading expert on Islamic transactions and structuring
    Chambers & Partners | 2016
  • Quote
    very responsive and proactive
    Chambers & Partners | 2014
  • Quote
    The practice has a market leading senior partner in Riza Moosa that knows the industry and is well respected for his views
    Legal 500, Banking & Finance, South Africa, 2021
  • Quote
    He has a good rapport with other lawyers, which makes solutions and deals smoother and adds excellent expertise
    Chambers & Partners, South Africa, Banking & Finance, 2020
  • Quote
    Riza Moosa is an exceptional banking and finance lawyer. His ability to keep a negotiation calm and keep all parties on topic is very good
    Chambers & Partners, Banking & Finance, South Africa, 2022
  • Quote
    Head of the firm's banking and finance practice Riza Moosa handles a range of financing and refinancing matters on behalf of borrowers, financial institutions and DFIs.
    Chambers & Partners, South Africa, Banking & Finance | Riza Moosa, Band 3, 2023
  • Quote
    Represents his firm well and infuses great attention to detail.
    Chambers & Partners, South Africa, Banking & Finance | Riza Moosa, Band 3, 2023
  • Quote
    Riza represents his firm well and infuses great attention to detail.
    Chambers & Partners, South Africa, 2024
  • Quote
    Riza is renowned in the South African finance law market as a subject matter expert. His expertise and sharp mind continue to provide calm direction on complex matters, both to clients and counterparties alike.
    Chambers & Partners, South Africa, 2024
  • Quote
    Riza Moosa is an excellent and well-seasoned lawyer.
    Chambers & Partners, South Africa, 2025
  • Quote
    Riza Moosa is highly experienced and adds enormous insight to any deal.
    Chambers & Partners, South Africa, 2025
  • Quote
    I found the CMS South Africa banking team to be great at working closely with the clients to better understand their needs and providing customised legal advice solutions that enable efficient and speedy resolutions of the matters at hand.
    Legal 500, South Africa, 2025
  • Quote
    The whole team did a great job. Andre van den Berg was very responsive and provided concise, on point advice that saved us time and ensured that we dealt our matters speedily. Riza Moosa provided sound advice and successfully led the tough negotiations.
    Legal 500, South Africa, 2025

Relevant experience

Acquisition finance

  • New GX Capital and Harith General Partners – in their capacity as shareholders through a fund in Community Investment Holdings in connection with the acquisition of a stake in Vuma Tel.  The transaction involved reviewing funding arrangements and potential rights offer at Vuma Tel with a transaction value of over ZAR4 billion. New GX Capital - on the preference share refinancing provided by Depfin and Nedbank with transaction value of ZAR1.3billion.
  • Harith General Partners, Public Investment Corporation and a BEE Consortium in their acquisition of Lanseria International Airport. 
  • Harith General Partners and Public Investment Corporation in connection with their acquisition of and investment in Kelvin power station.

Asset finance

  • Transnet SOC Limited - in connection with the US Export-Import Bank guaranteed financing for the purchase by Transnet of 100 diesel locomotives from GE Technologies.  Transnet is one of the major parastatal transport providers. This was a very large transaction in the space of rolling stock acquisition by South African standards and was one leg of an ongoing fleet renewal by Transnet.
  • South African Express Airways SOC Limited - in relation to the sale of existing aircraft and the structuring of operating leases for new aircraft as part of a fleet renewal, involving, amongst others, FirstRand Bank Limited (acting through its Rand Merchant Bank division), Flybe Limited, Aircraft Lease Finance Corporation Inc. and Universal Asset Management Inc.  The deal was important because it was probably the largest aircraft fleet renewals in South Africa of that year.

General finance

  • Nedbank Limited - as senior term and working capital facility lender in respect of refinancing facilities provided to The New Reclamation Group (TNRG) as part of the ZAR1.3 billion (Nedbank facilities ZAR512 million) refinancing of Euro denominated notes issued by TNRG.
  • China Development Bank - on the provision of a senior credit facility of about USD650 million to Wesizwe Platinum Limited for on lending to its subsidiary Bakubung Minerals Proprietary Limited for the development of a platinum mine. 

Corporate lending 

  • Spartan SME Fund Proprietary Limited - in relation to the ZAR100 million junior loan funding provided to it by SA SME Fund Limited. As part of the transaction, we also assisted Spartan with the creation of a special purpose security vehicle that Spartan will use to attract other financiers. The junior funding from SA SME serves as the first step by Spartan in setting up its ZAR600 million SME debt financing fund. 
  • A listed coal mining company - in connection with the refinancing of its short term and bridge facilities in a total amount of ZAR1.1 billion with provision made for an accordion increase for a further ZAR500 million. Our advice included the taking of a new security package including security over mining rights and other assets. Our advice assisted an acquisition-focused coal mining company refinance its debt to place it in good stead to confirm its impressive growth plan. 

Financial and risk advisory 

  • Choppies Enterprises Limited - for the founder, major shareholder and CEO of Choppies in relation to an employment, shareholder and board dispute. The CEO was reinstated, and the board was reconstituted after a shareholder meeting and a number of legal applications and actions both in South African and in Botswana.

Memberships & Roles

  • Member, South African Restructuring and Insolvency Association
  • Member, Black Lawyers‘ Association.
  • Member, Law Society of the Northern Provinces, South Africa.

Awards & Rankings

Lectures list

  • Business Rescue, Post Commencement Financing: Lessons Learnt | Standard Bank Transactional Products Team | 19 February 2020

Education

  • 2000 – LLM , University of Stellenbosch, South Africa 
  • 1998 – Derivatives Trading Training Programme, Financial Instruments Strategies, UK.
  • 1997 – LLB, University of the Western Cape, South Africa 
  • 1996 – International Business Transactions, (University of the Western Cape in conjunction with Howard University School of Law, Washington, USA.
  • 1993 – BA, Religious Tradition, University of Cape Town, South Africa. 

Riza is a partner in the business restructuring and insolvency team.

With more than 22 years of experience in banking and finance, Riza is acutely aware of how to bring financially distressed companies and lenders to the table and mutually beneficial agreement.

Riza leads large multi-disciplinary teams in complicated debt restructuring, work outs, business rescue and refinancing transactions. He acts for a number of development financiers on a range of finance transactions and understands development finance well.

Riza’s experience in financial restructuring and insolvency spans a variety of industries, in particular construction, telecoms, financial services, media, real estate, retail and hospitality and leisure.

Awards & Recognitions
01
  • Quote
    I find Riza one of the few people who is able to excel and use different aspects of the law to make a solution work
    Chambers & Partners | 2020
  • Quote
    a versatile lawyer who is practical in his approach
    Chambers & Partners | 2020
  • Quote
    extremely efficient, commercial, pragmatic and easy to work with
    Chambers & Partners | 2017
  • Quote
    a leading expert on Islamic transactions and structuring
    Chambers & Partners | 2016
  • Quote
    The quality of his legal work is top class.
    Chambers & Partners | 2015
  • Quote
    very responsive and proactive
    Chambers & Partners | 2014
  • Quote
    The practice has a market leading senior partner in Riza Moosa that knows the industry and is well respected for his views
    Legal 500, Banking & Finance, South Africa, 2021
  • Quote
    He has a good rapport with other lawyers, which makes solutions and deals smoother and adds excellent expertise
    Chambers & Partners, South Africa, Banking & Finance, 2020
  • Quote
    Head of the firm's banking and finance practice Riza Moosa handles a range of financing and refinancing matters on behalf of borrowers, financial institutions and DFIs.
    Chambers & Partners, South Africa, Banking & Finance | Riza Moosa, Band 3, 2023
  • Quote
    Represents his firm well and infuses great attention to detail.
    Chambers & Partners, South Africa, Banking & Finance | Riza Moosa, Band 3, 2023
  • Quote
    Riza represents his firm well and infuses great attention to detail.
    Chambers & Partners, South Africa, 2024
  • Quote
    Riza is renowned in the South African finance law market as a subject matter expert. His expertise and sharp mind continue to provide calm direction on complex matters, both to clients and counterparties alike.
    Chambers & Partners, South Africa, 2024
  • Quote
    Riza Moosa is an excellent and well-seasoned lawyer.
    Chambers & Partners, South Africa, 2025
  • Quote
    Riza Moosa is highly experienced and adds enormous insight to any deal.
    Chambers & Partners, South Africa, 2025
  • Quote
    I found the CMS South Africa banking team to be great at working closely with the clients to better understand their needs and providing customised legal advice solutions that enable efficient and speedy resolutions of the matters at hand.
    Legal 500, South Africa, 2025
  • Quote
    The whole team did a great job. Andre van den Berg was very responsive and provided concise, on point advice that saved us time and ensured that we dealt our matters speedily. Riza Moosa provided sound advice and successfully led the tough negotiations.
    Legal 500, South Africa, 2025

Relevant experience

  • Four South African financial institutions - on distressed loan funding for a large South Africa multinational construction company listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, in the form of a secured bridge term loan facility. The bridge facility was funded by one of the major South African banks with the other financial institutions participating by way of unfunded guarantee sub-participations. The amount funded exceed ZAR690 million and was provided in three tranches. The security package secured both the existing facilities and the new bridging loan through a security SPV structure and included cross-border security from Mozambique, Zambia, Swaziland, Mauritius as well as the United Arab Emirates.
  • One of Africa’s leading financial services group - in connection with the restructure of its investment management and insurance division. The restructure formed part of the implementation of a new operating model of the financial services group in line with its new African focused strategy.
  • One of South Africa’s largest mobile network operators – in relation t its restructuring of its debt and recapitalisation with value of ZAR 7 billion.
  • Absa Bank Limited, FirstRand Bank Limited, Investec Bank Limited, Nedbank Limited and Standard Bank of South Africa Limited - in relation to the restructuring of their debt in a leading South African listed construction corporate and its related group companies in Africa with a value of ZAR1.8 billion. The transaction involved restructuring facilities, taking new security, advising on the rights offer and bond redemption process.
  • A listed coal mining company - in connection with the refinancing of its short term and bridge facilities in a total amount of ZAR1.1 billion with provision made for an accordion increase for a further ZAR500 million. Our advice included the taking of a new security package including security over mining rights and other assets. Our advice assisted an acquisition-focused coal mining company refinance its debt to place it in good stead to confirm its impressive growth plan.
  • ABSA Bank Limited, HSBC, RMB, Standard Bank of South Africa and Lombard Insurance - on the restructuring of direct and contingent exposure to a listed construction company.
  • Absa Bank Limited (as agent for Absa Bank Limited, JP Morgan, Investec), GLAS Trust Corporation Limited and Bank of New York Melon – in relation to Bain Capital exit its ZAR25billion debt/equity position in favour of creditors and Edcon’s debt position reduce from approximately ZAR26.7billion to ZAR6billion.

Memberships & Roles

  • Member, South African Restructuring and Insolvency Association. 
  • Member, Black Lawyers‘ Association.
  • Member, Law Society of the Northern Provinces, South Africa.

Awards & Rankings

Lectures list

Business Rescue & Post Commencement Financing: Lessons Learnt | Standard Bank Transactional Products Team | 19 February 2020

Education

  • 2000 – LLM , University of Stellenbosch, South Africa
  • 1998 – Derivatives Trading Training Programme, Financial Instruments Strategies, UK.
  • 1997 – LLB, University of the Western Cape, South Africa 
  • 1996 – International Business Transactions, (University of the Western Cape in conjunction with Howard University School of Law, Washington, USA.
  • 1993 – BA, Religious Tradition, University of Cape Town, South Africa.