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.

• 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.