Johannes Gouws

Director
Country Managing Partner, South Africa
He's got excellent people skills and is brilliant to have by your side in negotiations.
Client, Chambers Global 2022
About

Johannes has over 20 years’ experience of helping clients with cross-border and domestic mergers and acquisitions, securities regulation, corporate finance, corporate law and the resolution of financial institutions.

He has advised on many of the largest and most well-publicised corporate transactions in South Africa, across a range of industries, particularly banking and financial services, insurance, agriculture and retail.

Professional QualificationsAttorney of the High Court of South Africa, 1995

Highlights

EXPERIENCE

Johannes' experience includes advising:

  • Barloworld Limited on the approximately ZAR5 billion acquisition of the starch business of Tongaat Hulett Limited
  • A JSE listed FMCG company on the potential disposal of its food business to a major international FMCG company
  • Real Foods Proprietary Limited on the disposal of a significant part of its foods business to Virgin Active, as well as on the subscription for shares in Virgin Active
  • The Curator of Ubank Limited on the disposal of the Ubank business to African Bank Limited
  • FirstRand Limited on the ZAR4.5 billion repurchase of its "B" variable rate non-cumulative, non-redeemable preference shares
  • A consortium of South African banks on the COVID-19 emergency loan scheme of the South African Reserve Bank
  • A South African bank on the disposal of its banking business in Tanzania
  • FirstRand Bank Limited on the acquisition of the Slow Lounge business of Kulula
  • A Mauritian solar energy company on the merger of its investments in five African countries with those of another Mauritian solar energy company through the establishment of, and transfer of their respective businesses to, a newly incorporated Mauritian company
Languages
  • English
  • Afrikaans
Education
  • University of Pretoria, LLB, 1992
  • University of Pretoria, BLC, 1990

Awards and recognition

  • Johannes was recognised in Thomson Reuters' Stand-out Lawyers 2024 edition.
  • Band 1 lawyer, Corporate/M&A, South Africa, Chambers Global 2021-23. “Johannes is particularly renowned for his experience leading complex cross-border M&A deals."
  • Leading individual, Commercial, Corporate and M&A, South Africa, The Legal 500 EMEA 2019-23.
  • Highly regarded in M&A, South Africa, IFLR1000 2018-22.
  • Best Lawyers in South Africa 2011 - 2023 recommends Johannes for Corporate Law and Mergers and Acquisitions Law. 
  • Acritas Star, 2017-20

Seminars

  • Regular speaker at DLA Piper Africa’s M&A Academies.

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