Legal Secretary jobs in South Africa

Purpose of the Role

The Legal Advisor will be responsible for providing comprehensive legal support across the Group, ensuring compliance, minimising risk, and facilitating business operations through sound legal advice. This role covers commercial contracts, corporate governance, insurance, dispute resolution, trademarks, and legal compliance across local and international jurisdictions.

Contract Management & Legal Drafting

• Maintain, update, and manage legal templates, including:

  • Master Distribution Agreements

  • Non-Disclosure and Confidentiality Agreements

  • Non-Circumvention Agreements

  • Consultancy Agreements

  • Owner Driver Agreements

  • Agency Agreements

• Draft, review, and negotiate vendor and customer contracts.

• Ensure completion of all customer and vendor documentation in a legally compliant manner.

Lease Management (Group-wide)

• Review all group lease agreements.

• Monitor lease renewal timelines and manage related negotiations.

Insurance Oversight (Group)

• Oversee Marine and Non-Marine insurance requirements.

• Coordinate policy renewals for Company and third parties.

• Provide guidance on GIT (Goods in Transit) insurance premium calculations for on selling.

• Support insurance-related matters for subsidiaries.

Company Secretarial Functions

• Draft and file resolutions and maintain statutory registers.

• Manage CIPC and Company House changes (e.g., company details, directorships).

• Coordinate the filing of Annual Returns.

• Maintain an up-to-date share register.

Dispute Resolution & Litigation

• Manage in-house debt collections and liaise with external partners.

• Oversee ongoing litigation matters through external counsel.

Intellectual Property

• Manage and maintain trademark registrations across the Group.

Strategic Legal Projects

• Lead and support strategic legal projects aligned with business objectives, including regulatory initiatives, risk mitigation programs, commercial contract frameworks, and cross-functional compliance matters.

General Legal & Compliance

• Facilitate the opening of bank accounts and ensure FICA compliance.

• Manage bank guarantees.

• Maintain compliance with necessary account registration.

• Review and enhance legal compliance SOPs.

Minimum Requirements

• LLB Degree from a recognised university.

• Admitted Attorney in South Africa (essential).

• Minimum 5-7 years post-admission experience in a corporate legal environment or law firm.

• Strong background in commercial and contract law, with exposure to cross-border transactions and insurance matters.

• Experience with company secretarial duties and familiarity with CIPC and Company House statutory filings.

• Solid understanding of dispute resolution, litigation coordination, and IP management.

Preferred

• Exposure to logistics, insurance, or distribution industries will be an advantage.

• Experience with international legal compliance (e.g., UK, EU, GmbH structures).

• Strong analytical and drafting skills.

• High attention to detail and organisational ability.

• Effective communicator, able to liaise with both legal and non-legal stakeholders.

• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.

• Sound judgement and problem-solving capability.

• Proactive and able to work independently.