Group Commercial Lawyer

People Dimension; Pretoria; Hybrid; ZAR 800 000 - 1 100 000; Full time

Job summary

A leading legal services provider is seeking a Senior Legal Advisor skilled in Group Commercial Law to support its operations in South Africa and across Africa. The role involves drafting, reviewing, and negotiating a variety of commercial agreements, as well as ensuring compliance with relevant laws. The ideal candidate must hold an LLB and be an admitted attorney with at least 5 years of experience. This position is based in Pretoria and offers a hybrid work arrangement.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years post-qualification experience required.
• Experience in telecommunications and ICT is preferred.
• Exposure to multi-jurisdictional legal issues is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Act as the commercial legal advisor to the Group and its OpCos.
• Draft, review, and negotiate standard commercial agreements.
• Support group company secretarial functions across African OpCos.
• Ensure compliance with South African Companies Act and governance codes.
• Provide legal oversight for telecommunications regulatory compliance.

Skills

Commercial legal expertise

Drafting and negotiation skills

Stakeholder management

Regulatory compliance knowledge

Attention to detail

Education

LLB degree (or equivalent)

Admitted Attorney of the High Court of South Africa

Job description

Group Commercial Law & Contracting

Act as the commercial legal advisor to the Group and its OpCos.

Draft, review, negotiate, and standardise commercial agreements across the group, including:

• Network and infrastructure sharing agreements
• Capacity, backhaul, and connectivity contracts
• Vendor, supplier, and OEM agreements
• Technology, software, licensing, and cloud agreements
• Distribution, reseller, and strategic partnership agreements
• Develop and maintain group-wide contract templates and commercial legal standards.
• Advise OpCos on contractual risk, compliance, and commercial exposure in alignment with group policies.

2. Group Secretarial & Corporate Governance (Multi-OpCo)

Support group company secretarial functions across all African OpCos.

Ensure compliance with:

• South African Companies Act
• Local company laws in OpCo jurisdictions
• King IV and applicable governance codes
• Assist with Coordination of board, committee, and shareholder meetings across the group, including:
• Agenda preparation
• Board packs
• Minutes and resolutions
• Maintain statutory registers, delegations of authority, and governance frameworks for all entities.
• Support director and officer appointments, resignations, and statutory filings across jurisdictions.

3. Shareholder, Investment & Corporate Structuring

Draft, review, and manage:

• Shareholder agreements
• Joint venture and consortium agreements
• MOIs / constitutional documents
• Provide legal support for:
• New market entry structures
• OpCo formation and licensing
• Group restructurings and simplifications

4. African Telecommunications Regulatory Affairs (Multi-Country)

Provide legal oversight of telecommunications and ICT regulatory compliance across multiple African jurisdictions, including:

• Licensing and renewals
• Regulatory reporting obligations
• Interconnection and access frameworks
• Spectrum-related legal issues (where applicable)
• Data protection, privacy, and cyber-security compliance
• Monitor regulatory developments and proactively advise the Group Legal Office and OpCos on impacts and mitigation strategies.
• Support regulatory engagements, audits, inspections, and enforcement matters.
• Coordinate and manage external regulatory counsel across OpCo jurisdictions.

5. Risk Management, Compliance & Dispute Support

• Identify and manage legal and regulatory risks across the Group.
• Support dispute resolution, litigation, and arbitration matters in collaboration with external counsel.
• Participate with the Development and implementation of group legal policies, compliance frameworks, and risk registers.
• Provide legal guidance and training to OpCo management teams on governance, compliance, and contracting standards.

6. Stakeholder & Cross-Border Engagement

• Work closely with:
• Group Legal Office
• OpCo CEOs and management teams
• Regulators and government stakeholders
• External legal and regulatory advisors
• Travel across Africa and internationally as required to support:
• Regulatory engagements
• Board and shareholder meetings
• Transactions and negotiations

Desired Experience & Qualification

Mandatory

• LLB degree (or equivalent)
• Admitted Attorney of the High Court of South Africa
• Minimum 5 years post-qualification experience

Preferred Experience:

• Telecommunications, ICT, infrastructure, or other regulated industries
• Pan-African or multi-jurisdictional legal exposure
• Experience supporting multiple OpCos within a group structure

Proven involvement in:

• Group governance and company secretarial matters
• Shareholder and JV structures
• Regulatory compliance in emerging markets

Skills & Competencies

• Strong commercial and regulatory legal expertise
• Excellent drafting, negotiation, and advisory skills
• Ability to balance group standardisation with local regulatory realities
• Strong stakeholder management across cultures and jurisdictions
• High attention to detail with a pragmatic, business-focused mindset
• Ability to operate independently while aligned with group legal strategy

Personal Attributes

• High professional integrity and discretion
• Confident, resilient, and adaptable
• Strategic thinker with strong execution capability
• Willingness and ability to travel extensively across Africa
• Comfortable operating in complex, fast-moving, multi-country environments

Employment Type

• Full-time, permanent
• Pretoria-based (hybrid where applicable)