Law.com's General Counsel Conference Africa 2026 took place on 4 September 2026 at The Wanderers Club in Johannesburg, South Africa, bringing together senior legal leaders from across the continent for a day of strategic discussion, leadership insights and peer-to-peer engagement. The conference was held in association with the Corporate Counsel Association of South Africa (CCASA) and Global Leaders in Law (GLL).

 

The agenda explored the strategic forces reshaping the in-house legal function across Africa, including governance, geopolitical risk, ESG compliance, AI transformation, legal operations, talent development and crisis leadership. Through keynote discussions, panel sessions, roundtable exchanges and interactive fishbowls, attendees shared practical experiences and forward-looking perspectives on the evolving role of general counsel.

 

The conference was chaired by Andréa Campbell, Principal Corporate Counsel Africa, Corporate, External & Legal Affairs at Microsoft, who opened and closed the event and guided delegates throughout the day.

 

The day opened with a keynote discussion:

Fireside Chat: A Conversation on King V: The Thinking Behind Governance and Its Next Phase

Featuring Carina Wessels, Chief GRC Officer, Alexforbes, and Ansie Ramalho, Chairperson of the King Committee on Corporate Governance for South Africa. The discussion examined the principles underpinning King V, its implications for governance frameworks, and what the next phase of governance may look like for organisations across Africa.

 

How Do GCs Influence Strategy When Geopolitics Rewrites the Rules?

The first panel discussion brought together Christine Kamugisha, Legal Executive, Company Secretary and Non-Executive Director, Lactalis South Africa; and Faiz Nacerodien, Director and Assistant General Counsel, Global Transactions, Procter & Gamble - to explore how legal leaders are helping organisations navigate geopolitical uncertainty and increasingly complex operating environments.

  • General counsel have become strategic advisors rather than purely legal advisers.
  • Geopolitical developments increasingly influence investment, supply chains and growth decisions.
  • Legal teams are expected to translate external uncertainty into actionable business guidance.
  • Scenario planning and risk anticipation are becoming core leadership skills.
  • Strong relationships with executive leadership enable legal teams to influence organisational strategy more effectively.

Attendees were then invited to discuss in groups how they are dealing with geopolitical risk in their organisation and to share best practice.

 

Africa's ESG Compliance Shift: Overcoming the Barriers to Mandatory Reporting

Supported by Winstanley Inc, this session was moderated by Terry Winstanley, Attorney, Winstanley Inc, and featured Thandiwe Kuzwayo, Head of Legal and Compliance, Gauteng Partnership Fund; Carina Wessels, Chief GRC Officer, Alexforbes; and Lindokhule Khuzwayo, Sustainability Relations Principal, Anglo American.

The discussion examined how African organisations are preparing for a future in which ESG reporting becomes increasingly structured, measurable and mandatory. Speakers considered the challenges of inconsistent regulatory frameworks, limited data infrastructure and evolving stakeholder expectations.

 

Generalists vs Specialists: How Do You Structure Your Legal Department for AI?

Supported by Anvaya, the session featured Ian Cronje, Group Legal Officer, 4Sight; Isabel Joseph, Legal Director, Metso; Shane Wafer, Executive Head of Legal, SuperSport; Mpho Chitapi, Head Legal: Group Technology, Nedbank; and Lynton Naicker, Co-Founder and CEO, Anvaya.

The discussion explored how legal departments can balance broad capability with specialist expertise as AI transforms risk, compliance and business operations.

 

Roundtable Discussions

Following lunch, delegates participated in six interactive roundtable discussions focused on governance, investment trends, cross-border transactions, leadership development, resilience and future-proofing legal functions.

Topics included:

  • Implementing King V: One Year On – What's Working and What Isn't, moderated by Ntokozo Nzima, Co-Head of Mining, Bowmans, and supported by Bowmans.
  • Inside Africa's Investment Evolution: The Trends Defining the Next Decade, moderated by Ewa Orpen, General Counsel, Kendal Capital
  • Cross-Border Transactions: What We've Seen Go Right and What We've Seen Go Wrong, moderated by Darryl Bernstein, Partner, White & Case, and Gary Felthun, Partner, White & Case, and supported by White & Case.
  • When You've Reached the Summit: What's the Next Peak for Legal Leaders?, moderated by Oscar Glynn, Reporter, Law.com.When You've Reached the Summit: What's the Next Peak for Legal Leaders?
  • Leading in the Storm: How to Carry Pressure Without Passing It Down, moderated by Civi Yap, Senior Reporter, Lexology.
  • The Future-Proof GC: Managing Risk in an Era of Constant Disruption, moderated by Kieran Whyte, Senior Consultant, Finance & Projects, Pinsent Masons, and Mark Thomas, Legal Director, Risk Advisory Services, Pinsent Masons, and supported by Pinsent Masons.

 

Cost, Capability & Capacity: Striking the Balance Between Outsourcing and Insourcing

Moderated by Velile Memela, Group Chief Legal Officer & Chief Compliance Officer, Sanlam, this session featured Anisha Naidoo Umichand, Group General Counsel and Company Secretary, iOCO; Thirosha Govender, Group Legal Manager, Concor Construction; and Chiraag Maharaj, Group Legal Counsel, Axis House Group.

Panellists discussed how legal leaders determine which capabilities should remain in-house and where external expertise creates value, focusing on designing legal operating models that balance cost efficiency, capability development and business responsiveness.

  • Legal operating models must evolve alongside organisational complexity.
  • Capacity challenges often reveal capability gaps.
  • Legal leaders need flexibility to combine internal expertise with specialist external support.
  • Strong alignment with business priorities should guide resourcing decisions.

 

Fishbowl Discussions

The conference then moved into four highly interactive fishbowl discussions that encouraged audience participation and practical knowledge sharing:

  • Balancing the Law and Societal Expectations: Where Does Legal End and Corporate Affairs Begin? featuring Martins Ogbolu, Executive Head of Risk and Compliance, Vodacom South Africa; Yvonne Perumal, Executive: Legal, Liberty Group South Africa; and Candice Pillay, Director: Legal Services, BMW Group South Africa.

 

  • How Do You Build Regional Consistency Without Losing Local Insight? featuring Liza Gropp, Chief Legal Counsel, Mondi SA; Michael Maistry, Executive Head of Legal and Public Affairs, American Tower; and Dr Denis Peterson, Executive Director: Governance and Support Services, NDTS South Africa.

 

  • AI-Enabled Decision Risk: If the Model Misleads, Who's Accountable? featuring Alison Lee, Chief Executive Officer, Corporate Counsel Association of South Africa; Esti Louw, Head of Legal, Revolut; and Berné Burger, Head of Legal, Ozow.

 

  • Inside Crisis-Time Decision Making: What Does Calling the Right Shot Really Look Like? featuring Lufuno Trevor Shinwana, Head of Legal and Compliance, Danone; Kim Edwards, Head of Legal, SPAR Group Limited; and Ntokozo Mack, General Counsel, Company Secretary, Regulatory Advisory & Compliance, Tiger Brands.

 

The Leadership Pipeline: Designing Tomorrow's Legal Team Today

The final panel discussion featured Howard Snoyman, Head: Legal and Ethics, Discovery Health Medical Scheme; Nomxolisi Sikhondze, General Counsel, Unilever; Matthew Welz, General Counsel, Coca-Cola; and Kubashnie Pillay, Chief Legal Officer, Clinix Health Group.

The session examined how legal departments can identify, develop and retain future leaders while preparing their teams for changing business demands and technological disruption. Panellists discussed succession planning, talent development and the importance of creating adaptable legal functions capable of evolving with the organisation.

 

The General Counsel Conference Africa 2026 was a resounding success, bringing together some of the continent's most influential legal leaders to exchange ideas, share experiences and build valuable professional connections. We thank our sponsors, partners, speakers and attendees for their support and look forward to welcoming the African legal community back in 2027.

 

Testimonials:

'GCC Africa was refreshingly candid and engaging. What stood out for me was the opportunity to move beyond the usual legal talking points and have real, sometimes challenging, conversations about how the role of in-house legal is evolving. It was a privilege to contribute alongside such an impressive group of professionals, and I left with as many new perspectives.'                                                                                           

                                                                                                                                                                                  Group Legal Counsel, speaker at GCC Africa 2026

 

'GCC Africa provided a valuable platform for candid and insightful discussions on the challenges and opportunities facing today's business and legal leaders. The calibre of speakers, quality of engagement, and practical takeaways made it a standout event. I was honoured to contribute to the programme and would gladly support future editions.'         

                                                                                                                                                                                                 General Counsel, speaker at GCC Africa 2026

'GCC Africa plays an important role in bringing in-house counsel together to learn from each other about key issues and trends across Africa. By creating opportunities for both formal and informal discussions, it allows lawyers to share best practices and learn from one another.'

                                                                                                                                                            Director and Assistant General Counsel, speaker at GCC Africa 2026

 

'What I valued was the conference’s focus on the real decisions GCs make every day, determining what expertise should sit within the business, what can be outsourced and how legal teams can continue to provide strategic value in an evolving environment.  The discussions were thoughtful, practical and highly relevant to the challenges facing modern legal functions.'

                                                                                                                                                                                              General Counsel, speaker at GCC Africa 2026

 

'GCC Africa provided an excellent platform for meaningful discussions among senior legal and business leaders across the continent. The quality of the conversations, the calibre of the attendees, and the practical insights shared made it a valuable and worthwhile event. I was honoured to participate and look forward to future engagements.'

                                                                                                                                                                                                General Counsel, speaker at GCC Africa 2026