Pre-eminent African law firm Bowmans walked away with the top honours at the IFLR Africa Awards held in Cape Town last night (18 March 2026).
 
In addition to winning the prestigious African Firm of the Year Award, Bowmans was named South African Law Firm of the Year and received the Team of the Year Award for M&A: Regional as well as four Deal of the Year awards. In addition, the firm's chairman and senior partner Ezra Davids received the prestigious Lawyer of the Year: South Africa accolade.
 
Davids says, 'I'm honoured by this recognition. Dealmaking at this level is never about an individual – it's the result of shared judgement, discipline, and an unwavering focus on client outcomes. The most rewarding aspect of this work is leading teams of outstanding lawyers and partnering with clients to navigate complexity and close transactions that stand the test of time.'
 
The IFLR awards celebrate the most legally innovative cross-border deals closed in 2025 and the teams and individuals behind them. They are judged solely on innovation, which underscores the value that Bowmans' involvement brings to the matters its lawyers advise on.
 
The firm's strength in M&A and capital markets was a theme running through the other awards it took home. Bowmans received the Team of the Year M&A: Regional Award for its seamless approach in managing complex, multi-jurisdictional matters. Its M&A team spans six African countries: Kenya, Mauritius, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia with the ability to expertly navigate differing regulatory frameworks and various national authorities. It credits its 'one firm' approach for the success of several of the year's largest African deals.
 
Davids says, 'These accolades are a powerful endorsement of our commitment to pioneering legal solutions that drive progress across the continent. I'm grateful to our clients for giving us the opportunity to work on deals that result in growth and investment in this beautiful continent that we call home.'
  
The firm also won two M&A Deal of the Year Awards – for the Amsons Industries/ Bamburi Cement and Groupe Canal+/ MultiChoice Group mergers.
 
In the first, Kenya's leading cement producer, Bamburi Cement plc, was acquired by the Tanzanian conglomerate Amsons Group. It is considered a major milestone for intra-African integration and is the largest private investment by a Tanzanian firm in Kenya to date.
 
The second, Groupe Canal+'s acquisition of the MultiChoice Group, was a series of interdependent deals and highlighted for its regulatory innovation, specifically the creation of LicenceCo. This new entity set a new precedent for how global media consolidation can align with national equity and transformation goals.
 
Bowmans also advised on the deals named Deal of the Year: Equity Capital Markets and Deal of the Year: Debt Capital Markets.
 
The equity capital markets award was for the Optasia Initial Public Offering (IPO) on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE). The firm acted as South African legal advisor to the joint global coordinators and the bookrunner on this ZAR 6.5 billion IPO which was the largest fintech IPO in the JSE's history and the largest overall listing on the exchange since 2018. Bowmans' work extended to specialised advice as rewards consultant for the listing.
 
The debt capital markets award was for the Safaricom green notes transaction. Bowmans acted as legal counsel to Safaricom plc on its KES 40 billion medium term notes programme. The debut tranche featured a KES 15 billion green bond (with a KES 5 billion greenshoe), Kenya's second-ever green bond and the first in the Kenyan market to offer a fully digitised investor onboarding process, allowing for USD-based subscriptions. This transaction set a new benchmark for both execution efficiency and market inclusivity in the country's debt capital market.
 
Davids concludes, 'Whatever the mandate, our focus remains on delivering technical excellence that translates into real-world impact for our clients. These accolades are due to the dedication and excellence of our integrated teams across the continent.'