South Africa is coming to a crunch point. More than a decade after the end-of-apartheid euphoria and the democratisation of much of southern Africa, economic growth is healthy and the region’s law firms are enjoying good times.
But with growth comes the need for change; surging demand for energy has meant power cuts, the stalling of construction projects and a predicted power crisis in South Africa next year. The Government finds itself facing some fundamental challenges, including how to meet the demand for power, which will in turn fuel further growth and prosperity. For their part, South Africa’s law firms must decide whether to position themselves as advisers to the whole of southern Africa and beyond or to focus on their domestic market, thereby allowing international firms to cream off the most lucrative pan-African work.
