Rudolph du Plessis

Partner

Johannesburg, Africa Group

Rudolph is a Corporate and M&A lawyer specialising in private and public M&A and equity capital raising transactions.

Based in Johannesburg, Rudolph is a well-established and respected practitioner in the South African M&A market. The last 10 years of his practice has seen a split between domestic work for South African clients, work for multinationals investing in South Africa and Sub-Saharan work for domestic and multinational clients. Rudolph advises a number of JSE listed companies on corporate governance and the South African Companies Act.

He also has particular expertise in cross-border M&A transactions and regularly advises foreign companies on investment in South Africa. In this regard Rudolph has acted for various multi-nationals in transactions in South Africa and elsewhere in Africa.

Background

Rudolph is ranked by Chambers Global as a leading lawyer for Corporate and M&A in South Africa

Latest insights

Experience & expertise

Selected matters

CFAO (a subsidiary of Toyota Tsusho) in its acquisition of Steinhoff's Unitrans business in South Africa
Lagardère Active Radio International on its disposal of 20% of radio business Jacaranda FM and 49% of multi-media sales house Mediamark for an estimated price of ZAR 263 million (closed in February 2019)
Diageo on the disposal of United National Breweries, its sorghum beer business in South Africa, to Delta Corporation Limited (awaiting regulatory approvals)
Legae Peresec on the acquisition and creation of South Africa's largest securities business – ZAR 760 million price (closed in February 2019)
FutureGrowth, Stanlib, WIPHold and Mergence on the possible acquisition of a majority stake in AFGRI's grain silo infrastructure portfolio and grain business (closed in March 2019)
Old Mutual on the listing on the JSE as part of the managed separation of Old Mutal PLC (acting for Bank of America Merrill Lynch as financial adviser and SA sponsor)
acting for a confidential client in the potential acquisition of a stake in an oil company in Ghana (negotiations in 2016)
acting for a confidential client in the acquisition of the shares in a private education company in Ghana (current)