ENSafrica’s dedicated insolvency and restructuring team focuses on minimising loss, maximising returns and assisting clients throughout Africa to proactively manage financial risk and exposure.

When insolvency is inevitable, we have the expertise to develop and implement effective recovery strategies for viable business activities, and to maximise returns for creditors.

As a result, we have acted in many complex cross-border insolvencies and restructurings, and have been called in to assist in most major corporate collapses and restructurings in Africa.

Over 200 years experience Over 600 practitioners 12 offices in 7 countries

We are at the cutting edge of developing insolvency and business rescue law in Africa, and have been involved in the most prestigious and important matters since the introduction of business rescue, playing a significant role in procuring successful results in this regard.

Our key differentiator is that we have the unique advantage, as part of Africa’s largest law firm, of being able to harness the expertise of more than 600 practitioners throughout the continent. ENSafrica has a significant breadth and depth of experience and specialist expertise that spans all commercial areas of law, tax, forensics and IP.

As such, we regularly partner with specialists across the firm, meaning that we are able to assist with all aspects of all matters across all sectors in all African jurisdictions, ensuring that your legal requirements are handled quickly and seamlessly.

widely praised as the pre-eminent firm in the market… interviewees widely agree: ENSafrica are the leader in this field
Chambers Global

what we offer

We offer you the full scope of insolvency and restructuring services, including:

  • acting in liquidations, receiverships and administrations
  • audits and enforcement of securities
  • business rescue
  • constitutional litigation
  • corporate restructuring
  • debt recovery
  • debt restructuring and securitisation
  • employee fraud
  • forensic investigations
  • insolvency due diligence exercises
  • interrogations
  • risk management
  • schemes of arrangement
  • viability assessments
  • voidable transactions and other insolvency litigation
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represents a number of major banking institutions and business rescue practitioners, with experience handling restructuring and insolvency mandates in the mining, manufacturing and retail sectors
Chambers Global
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advises on both the creditor and debtor sides, supported by the firm’s complementary expertise in regulatory, labour and environmental issues
Chambers Global
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market leader in insolvency and business rescue – particularly in matters requiring multiple banks to work together. Pragmatic, consistent and responsive. Step up readily when extraordinary commitment is required around time pressure
IFLR1000
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experiENS

ZAR22-BILLION RECOVERY
ZAR22-billion recovered from the Steinhoff Group within five months for Absa Bank, China Construction Bank, Citibank South Africa, Depfin Investments, HSBC Bank South Africa, Investec Bank, iNguza Investments, Nedbank, Old Mutual, Rand Merchant Bank, Rapvest, Standard Bank of South Africa and Standard Chartered Bank.
COMPLEX RESTRUCTURING
Highly complex restructuring of the Edcon Group (with stores in Botswana, Ghana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe), involving South African banks, London-based lenders and New York-based financial creditors.
ADMINISTRATION
Administration of Spencon Services, a Kenyan construction company with operations in Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.
INVESTMENT RESTRUCTURE
Restructure of the Industrial Development Bank of South Africa’s investment in a hotel in Uganda.
BUSINESS RESCUE
Business rescue of construction engineering company Basil Read, spanning Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and St Helena.
LIQUIDATION OF ESTATE
Liquidation of Zonnekus Mansion, an estate in Cape Town.
RECKLESS TRADING INVESTIGATION
Investigation into reckless trading by former directors of Pinnacle Point and the recovery of unpaid liabilities worth ZAR500-million.
ENFORCEMENT AND PROTECTION
Enforcement and protection of the Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa’s security registered over assets during the ZAR300-million business rescue of Shiva Uranium, a Gupta-related company.
LIQUIDATION AFTER FRAUD ALLEGATIONS
Liquidation of Kusaga Taka Consulting after allegations of fraud and corruption in the waste tyre industry.
LIQUIDATION AND ENQUIRY
Liquidation of Western Province Rugby and the subsequent insolvency enquiry.
highly skilled business rescue and insolvency practice with a deep bench
Chambers Global

contact

expertise

expertise

African regulatory and business intelligence
agribusiness
Asia
aviation
banking and finance
Broad-based black economic empowerment (B-BBEE)
competition/antitrust
corporate commercial
dispute resolution
employment
environment
fiduciary
fintech
forensics
immigration
India
insolvency, business rescue and debt recovery
insurance
intellectual property (IP)
intelligENS
mine and occupational health and safety
mining
private clients
private equity
pro bono and corporate social investment
project development and project finance
real estate / property
shipping, ports and logistics
tax
technology, media and telecommunications