Xolani has experience across a broad range of business sectors and industries, including property, construction, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, financial services, private equity, technology (including fintech), mobility (air, road, and sea) and the automotive industry. Xolani also has a keen interest in the competition law aspects of disruptive technologies and, joint ventures.

Xolani has advised :

Mergers

• Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Aramco), as local counsel, in relation to its acquisition of the Valvoline Inc. global products business. The USD 2.65 billion transaction marked Valvoline Inc.’s global exit from the engine and automotive preventive maintenance products. The matter was notified to a number of competition authorities in Africa. [c. 2023; Jurisdictions: South Africa, Kenya, and Nigeria; advice re Angola.]
• AP Moller Capital in relation to the merger notifications required in Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, and Zambia in respect of its acquisition of Vector Logistics. [c.2023]
• Tanga Cement Public Limited Company, as target entity, in relation to Scancem International DA’s acquisition of control of Tanga. The transaction was notified to and conditionally approved by the Tanzanian Fair Competition Commission. The matter is a complex one, which has attracted contestation and Xolani is also advising Tanga in relation to ancillary hearing processes before the Fair Competition Commission. [c.2022/23]
• Local counsel in relation to the Nigerian merger control aspects of Yokohama Rubber Company Limited’s acquisition of control Trelleborg’s Wheel System business. [c.2023]
• Abu Dhabi National Energy Company PJSC (TAQA), as local counsel, for the purposes of the submission of a merger notification to the COMESA Competition Commission in relation to its acquisition of joint control Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company PJSC – Abu Dhabi’s flagship clean energy company. The deal was valued at approximately USD 20 billion and allowed for the energy giants of Abu Dhabi to consolidate their renewable energy and green hydrogen efforts into a single global clean energy entity. [c.2023]
• Advised in obtaining competition clearance for the acquisition by (i) funds managed by Vista Equity Partners Management, LLC; and (ii) funds and investment vehicles managed by Elliott Investment Management, L.P. of indirect joint control of the combined businesses of Citrix Systems, Inc. and TIBCO Software, Inc. The transaction was valued at USD 16.5 billion and created one of the world’s largest software providers. [c. 2023]
• Saudi Agricultural and Livestock Investment Company, a subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia in respect of its acquisition 35.43% in Olam Agri Holdings Pte. Ltd. [c. 2023]
• Vitol Group in respect of the African competition law aspects of the acquisition of control of UK listed entity, Vivo Energy plc. Bowmans is coordinating the competition notifications in Botswana, Cape Verde, COMESA, CEMAC, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, and WAEMU. [Transaction ongoing 2022] 
• AP. Moller – Maersk A/S in respect of its acquisition of Senator International (an internationally operating freight forwarder). Bowmans secured unconditional competition clearance in South Africa notwithstanding the Competition Commission’s assessment that the transaction exhibited high market-shares in certain container liner shipping routes. The merger parties argued for unconditional clearance on novel public interest grounds, in particular, the promotion of a greater spread of ownership by historically disadvantaged persons/workers. Xolani successfully argued that a proper construction of the public interest provisions did not require a public interest intervention in all cases and without deciding the point, the Competition Tribunal cleared the transaction without commitments. 
• SK Capital Partners, L.P. in respect of the acquisition of the pigments business of Clariant AG by a consortium comprising SK Capital Partners’ affiliate and the Halbach Group. [Transaction closed 2022]
• Cargotec (supplier of material flow solutions) in respect of its acquisition of Konecranes Plc. [Transaction abandoned 2022]. 
• Refinitiv (global provider of financial markets data) in respect of the South African competition law aspects of The London Stock Exchange’s acquisition of Refinitiv. [Transaction closed 2021]
• Squared Capital Advisors in respect of the joint acquisition of Aggreko by funds managed by I Squared Capital and TDR Capital. Aggreko is a UK based, public company that supplies power generation and temperature control equipment. Xolani oversaw the merger clearance processes in Africa, including two nascent jurisdictions, which involved developing and testing the merger control processes required in these jurisdictions. [Transaction closed 2021]