Africa: Corporate/Commercial Law

The Namibia Competition Commission has proposed significant changes to merger notification thresholds and filing fees, including doubling current thresholds and implementing a simplified three-tier fee structure. These recommendations, presented at a stakeholder engagement on August 13, 2026, also introduce a supplementary discretionary review mechanism for transactions falling below revised thresholds that may still impact competition or raise public-interest concerns.

Nigeria's merger approval framework has evolved from a fragmented system under CAMA 2020 and ISA 2007 to a comprehensive competition-based regime under the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2018. This analysis examines whether the Corporate Affairs Commission could have administered competition reviews, why sector regulators retain parallel jurisdiction, and what institutional reforms would resolve the resulting coordination challenges.

Private equity, venture capital, and private credit markets in Nigeria are evolving rapidly, with disclosed deal values surging 84% to US$810.7 million in 2025. While venture capital dominates transaction volume and value, private debt is expanding its role in working capital, acquisition finance, and infrastructure. The critical question is not whether capital can enter Nigeria at scale, but whether it can stay, perform through cycles, and ultimately return to investors as distributions.

The Tunisian edition of Innovative Africa 2026 brought together female entrepreneurs and innovators in Sfax for a programme designed to strengthen innovation-driven businesses and expand market access.

South Africa's Competition Commission is launching a market inquiry into the franchising sector, examining whether structural barriers prevent historically disadvantaged persons from accessing an industry that contributes...

South Africa's Competition Commission has launched a comprehensive inquiry into the franchise market, examining whether structural features are restricting competition and limiting participation by small and medium enterprises and historically disadvantaged persons. The inquiry will scrutinize franchise financing mechanisms, contractual terms between franchisors and franchisees, and information asymmetries that may disadvantage prospective franchise owners across key sectors including fast food, constructio

Many businesses invest heavily in building their brand before checking whether their chosen name is available, only to face costly rebranding when conflicts arise. A trade mark availability search and proper registration can prevent these expensive disruptions and protect one of your most valuable business assets.

AI services demand a fundamentally different approach to benchmarking than traditional outsourcing arrangements. While conventional benchmarking focuses on pricing and service levels, AI systems require continuous assessment of technical performance, operational resilience, and governance standards throughout their lifecycle. This analysis explores why traditional benchmarking clauses fall short and what customers must demand to ensure AI services remain reliable, explainable, secure, and commercially valua

Cape Verde's new Intellectual Property Code introduces a significant change to trade mark registration validity periods, shifting the calculation from grant date to filing date. Trade mark owners must now adapt their renewal monitoring practices to align with this updated 10-year term framework.

Family businesses are the quiet engine of the global economy, accounting for a large share of the jobs and output of almost every country on earth. Yet they share one stubborn weakness: most do not outlive the people who build them. Studies of family enterprises find repeatedly that only a minority survive into the second generation, and fewer into the third.1 The problem is rarely a lack of talent or ambition. It is a lack of structure.

Corporate governance in Nigeria hinges on effective representation at shareholder meetings, where critical decisions shape a company's future. When shareholders cannot attend in person...

When a shareholder's political exposure becomes a regulatory or reputational risk, businesses often discover they lack the framework to respond effectively. Without pre-agreed exit mechanisms, companies face deadlock...