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Craig Saven is an Executive and Head of the Banking and Finance practice at ENS. He specialises in cross-border and structured trade and commodity finance, with a particular focus on emerging markets. He also advises clients on their general corporate financings.

Craig has advised major international banks, South African banks, development finance institutions (DFIs), and international financial institutions on various general corporate, development and structured trade and commodity financings. He has also advised borrowers in the mining, telecommunications, tourism, hotels and soft commodity sectors.

His experience includes advising on structured trade financings, such as borrowing base facilities, pre-export finance facilities, post-shipment advance facilities, L/C issuance facilities and receivables/invoice discounting facilities. He also has experience in risk/sub-participations, syndicated loans, work-out/distressed debt arrangements, development finance and general corporate lending transactions.

Craig has twice been the lead adviser on structured trade and commodity financing deals awarded Deal of the Year by Global Trade Review. He is a regular speaker at Loan Market Association (LMA) conferences across Africa.

Craig is recognised as a leading/recommended lawyer by:

• The Legal 500 EMEA Guide 2025 (Key Lawyer), 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019 – Banking and Finance - 2025, 2024, 2023 Investment Funds (South Africa) 
• Chambers Global Guide 2025, 2024, 2023, 2021, 2020, 2019 - Banking & Finance (South Africa)
• Best Lawyers® 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018 – Banking and Finance, Structured Finance (South Africa)
• IFLR1000 Banking – 2024 (South Africa)

• BBusSc (Honours) (University of Cape Town)
• LLB (City University, London)
• LLM (London School of Economics and Political Science)
• Solicitor – High Court of England and Wales
• Lawyer – Supreme Court of New South Wales