Francisca Heese

• Acted for prominent retailers, private equity funds and farming enterprises in the RSA and Africa and other clients who supply/service the retail sector in various commercial transactions and matters. These transactions and matters cover various commercial and operational areas including: corporate financing, JSE requirements, BEE and group restructuring, acquisitions and disposals of shareholdings in companies and of business enterprises or business assets, lease and property sale agreements, IT transactions, supply agreements, SLAs, manufacturing and packing agreements, and others. Some examples of these transactions and types of matters include:
• Advising the Shoprite Group on the acquisition of a majority stake in RA Cellular (Pty) Ltd
• Advising Pepkor on the sale of The Building Company Proprietary Limited to Capitalworks Private Equity
• Advising 1K1V on its disposal of its 59% shareholding in the Consumer Profile Bureau Group (a credit bureau group in South Africa) to Ascension private equity fund (this transaction was shortlisted for the Dealmakers BEE Deal of the Year, 2024)
• Advising on manufacturing agreements and logistics services agreements for a multinational food products supplier to the retail sector
• Advising financial services clients on the acquisition of independent financial service providers
• Advising on supply agreements for retail clients
• Advising private equity funds on their acquisition and disposal of equity stakes in technology companies in South Africa
• Advising various company boards and shareholder groups on company law issues and shareholder disputes
• Advising various company boards regarding corporate governance matters

*** Prior to joining Werksmans, a key member of the private equity deal team which won the Dealmakers Private Equity Deal of the Year in 2020 and 2022.