The ranking

Next placed: Geni & Kebe (DLA Piper Africa), Senegal 9.5; G. Elias, Nigeria 9.5; Webber Wentzel (South Africa) 7.75; N. Dowuona & Company (Ghana) 6.0; ENSafrica 4.0; DLA Piper Africa (South Africa) 2.25; Matouk Bassiouny & Hennawy (Egypt) 1.75.

Edition 1 update (October 2026 audit): Bowmans adds the Telkom Swiftnet sale (Telkom release names Bowman Gilfillan as legal counsel). Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr adds ENGIE/Meridiam–BTE Renewables at half weight (undated, firm-published). Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr moves into the Top 10; Geni & Kebe and G. Elias move to 11=.

Methodology

Scope. Law firms headquartered in an African country, including locally owned members of international networks. International firms headquartered outside Africa are not ranked here.

Period. 1 October 2024 to 1 October 2026.

Evidence. A matter counts only where a public source names the firm in a role: firm announcements, regulatory or exchange filings, court and tribunal records, development-finance releases and reputable business and deal publications. Undated compilations and secondary reports count at half weight.

Scoring. The same formula as the Meridian West Africa 50, applied continent-wide. Each transaction or dispute scores 1 point (regulatory mandates 0.75), plus 0.5 where the disclosed value is at least US$100m or 1.0 where it is at least US$500m, plus 0.25 for cross-border work. Breadth: 0.25 per evidenced practice area (maximum 1.5) across M&A, banking, capital markets, projects, energy, infrastructure, TMT/fintech and disputes. Footprint: 0.5 per additional African country with an own office (maximum 1.5). People: 0.25 per verified lawyer-activity item (maximum 0.5). Values are converted at approximate rates (US$1 = R18, KES129) and used only to band size.

Directories and awards. Directory rankings and awards are not scored. They may be cited as supporting context only, and deal publications are used only where they name the firm on a specific matter.

Confidence. High: five or more named matters. Moderate: two to four. Limited: one. Firms without a verified matter are not ranked.

Limits. Public evidence favours firms that publish their work. Research depth currently differs by market: West African firms draw on the full West Africa 50 evidence register, while firms elsewhere were assessed from a capped first research pass. Rankings outside West Africa should therefore be read as a floor, and will change as evidence is added.

Independence and corrections. No firm can pay for inclusion or position. Firms may submit evidence or corrections through Submit a Transaction or to editorial@themeridian50.com.

Evidence outside West Africa

Bowmans — 19.5

• Groupe Canal+ acquisition of MultiChoice (R55bn), South African counsel to Canal+ — 2.25
• Valterra Platinum demerger and accelerated placement — 1.25
• Aspen Pharmacare Asia-Pacific asset sale to BGH Capital (R26.5bn) — 2.25
• Coca-Cola HBC acquisition of Coca-Cola Beverages Africa stake (US$2.6bn) — 2.25
• Pick n Pay recapitalisation and Boxer listing (R8.5bn) — 1.5
• Amsons Group acquisition of Bamburi Cement (Kenya/Tanzania) — 1.25
• Optasia IPO on the JSE (R6.5bn) — 1.5
• Safaricom KES40bn MTN programme and green bond — 1.5
• LeapFrog exit from Goodlife Pharmacy to CFAO Healthcare — 1.25
• Telkom sale of Swiftnet to Actis/RBH consortium (R6.575bn), legal counsel to Telkom — 1.5 (Telkom)

Breadth 1.5 (M&A, equity capital markets, debt capital markets, private equity, restructuring, TMT); footprint 1.5 (offices in six further African countries).

Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr — 9.875

• Groupe Canal+ acquisition of MultiChoice (R55bn) — 2.25
• Coca-Cola HBC acquisition of Coca-Cola Beverages Africa stake (US$2.6bn) — 2.25
• Jannie Mouton Stigting acquisition of Curro (R7.34bn) — 1.5
• Vodacom additional stake in Safaricom (R36bn) — 2.25
• ENGIE/Meridiam acquisition of BTE Renewables (South Africa and Kenya), half weight — 0.625 (CDH)

Breadth 0.5 (M&A, energy); footprint 0.5 (Kenya). PPC/CIMERWA (US$42.5m, January 2024) is recorded but falls before the period.

Webber Wentzel — 7.75

• Groupe Canal+ acquisition of MultiChoice (R55bn) — 2.25
• Valterra Platinum demerger and placement — 1.25
• Aspen Pharmacare Asia-Pacific asset sale (R26.5bn) — 2.25
• Pick n Pay recapitalisation and Boxer listing (R8.5bn) — 1.5

Breadth 0.5; footprint 0.

ENSafrica — 4.0

• Groupe Canal+ acquisition of MultiChoice (R55bn) — 2.25

Breadth 0.25; footprint 1.5. Confidence: limited (one matter found).

Sources: DealMakers South Africa, Deal of the Year; Bowmans, 18 March 2026; Bowmans, 19 March 2026; BCLP on Canal+/MultiChoice. West African firms: Meridian West Africa 50.