JOHANNESBURG, 12 August 2026 – CMS South Africa has appointed equity director Andre van den Berg as Co-Head of its Banking & Finance practice. He takes up the role alongside Riza Moosa, the firm's Managing Partner, who continues to lead the team with Andre.
The appointment reflects both the growth of the practice and the firm's approach to developing leadership from within. Van den Berg has spent more than a decade advising lenders, borrowers and sponsors on financing transactions across South Africa and the wider region and has been central to building the practice's local and cross-border client base since joining the firm in 2022.
He brings a combination of private practice and in-house experience, having spent part of his career on the client side in the telecommunications and fintech sectors. That perspective has shaped how the team works — with a strong emphasis on commercial pragmatism and on understanding the internal pressures clients are managing when a transaction lands on their desk.
Alongside his client work, van den Berg has played a significant role in developing junior lawyers within the practice, supervising and mentoring associates who now form the core of the team's next generation.
Riza Moosa, Managing Partner, CMS South Africa, “Andre has been integral to the success and management of the Banking & Finance team for several years. His promotion is overdue recognition for his immense contribution. I am excited by the prospect of working alongside him to build the best Banking and Finance practice in Africa. Thanks, and congratulations Andre!”
Andre van den Berg, Co-Head of Banking & Finance, “I’m proud to step into this role at a time when client expectations in the banking and finance arena are becoming ever more sophisticated, international and fast-paced, particularly on complex cross-border mandates that require deep sector knowledge, sound legal and commercial judgment and seamless execution. Our focus is on building a team that combines continuity, technical excellence and commercial judgement, so that clients continue to receive the high-quality support they have come to expect from us.”
A growing bench
The appointment comes at the end of a period of steady investment in the Banking & Finance team. Over the past year, the practice welcomed Andrea McKaiser Walbrugh as a senior hire from White & Case, strengthening its infrastructure and project finance capability. She brings substantial transactional experience and long-standing relationships with a leading global development finance institution, the International Finance Corporation, an area of increasing importance to the firm's clients across the continent.
The team has also promoted from within, with Karabo Kanapi and Mbali Nene, both advancing to Senior Associate. The promotions reflect the depth of the internal pipeline the practice has been building and its focus on retaining and progressing talent.
CMS South Africa is a B-BBEE Level 1 contributor and part of CMS, the leading relationship global law firm, giving the Banking & Finance team direct access to specialist expertise across Africa, Europe and beyond on multi-jurisdictional financing mandates.
