Senior Corporate Lawyer South Africa (BettingOperations / iGaming)

Black Pen Recruitment; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 800,000 - 1,200,000; Full time

Job summary

A professional services firm is seeking an experienced attorney to ensure compliance for South African wagering entities. The successful candidate will manage licensing, commercial contracts, and statutory responsibilities while maintaining an effective governance framework. Applicants should have a strong corporate background, deep knowledge of regulatory requirements in the betting sector, and fluency in English, with additional local language skills as a plus.

Qualifications

• 8+ years' corporate/commercial experience in betting or regulated sectors.
• Expert knowledge of the National Gambling Act and provincial regulations.
• Ability to manage disputes and compliance-related tasks.

Responsibilities

• Maintain records for compliance and governance.
• Oversee licensing management and negotiate commercial contracts.
• Guide finance on regulatory approvals and lead legal due diligence.

Skills

Regulatory Compliance

Contract Negotiation

Legal Research

Fluent English

Afrikaans or Local Language

Education

Admitted Attorney

Job description

Our client believes in the power of Virtual Advancement—leveraging digital innovation and strategic foresight to help businesses excel in a rapidly evolving world.

With a focus on agility and adaptability, they work alongside organisations to simplify complexity, enhance operations, and implement strategies that foster long-term success.

Their team partners with startups, SMEs, and large enterprises across various industries, enabling clients to harness technology, data, and strategic insight to gain sustainable competitive advantage.

From expanding into new markets to building resilient financial roadmaps, our client serves as a trusted advisor committed to creating meaningful impact. Whether the goal is operational optimisation or future-focused growth, our client delivers the clarity and capability needed to navigate change and lead with confidence.

Role Overview

Keep our client's South-African wagering entities fully licence-compliant, financially efficient, and ready for growth across the continent.

Job Type : Full-time / Permanent

Location : South Africa

Workplace : Remote

Requirements

Admitted attorney, 8+ years' corporate / commercial experience in betting, fintech, or other regulated sectors.

Expert knowledge of the National Gambling Act, provincial regulations, and SARB exchange-control rules.

Fluent English; Afrikaans or another local language strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Governance & filings – Maintain flawless CIPC records, B-BBEE certificates, UBO registers, and provincial-board corporate returns.

Licence management – Lead new applications, renewals, share-change approvals, and key-person vetting with Gauteng, Western Cape, and other boards; brief the MLRO on any conditions attached.

Commercial contracts – Draft and negotiate affiliate, data-feed, sponsorship, and white-label agreements; ensure compliance with gambling-act requirements and CPA provisions.

Exchange-control & tax – Guide finance on SARB approvals for dividends, loans, and IP royalties; identify thin-cap risks and withholding-tax triggers.

M&A / expansion – Conduct legal due diligence for new African targets; manage data rooms, closing opinions, and post-merger integrations.

Dispute oversight – Manage vendor, player, and regulator disputes; instruct and oversee litigation counsel under capped-fee or AFA terms.

Policy & training – Implement signing-authority limits; develop director induction packs; and conduct annual governance training for local leadership.