Zoë Austen is an Associate with a focus in the Infrastructure, Energy & Projects and Banking & Finance practice areas. Her experience extends to Insolvency & Business Rescue, as well as to Construction & Engineering. Zoë advises on a broad range of financing transactions, including project finance transactions, asset acquisitions, limited recourse financing, and public-private partnerships. She is experienced in structuring and negotiating deals within the infrastructure sector, ensuring the successful execution of projects.
PRACTICE AREAS
- Banking & Finance
- Infrastructure & Energy
- Insolvency & Business Rescue
- Project Finance and Infrastructure
- Bank and Institutional Finance
- Corporate Finance
- The curatorship and subsequent liquidation of VBS Mutual Bank
- Sponsors in 2022/2023 — in relation to the development of 69MW of wind powered renewable energy for the production of green hydrogen at Sasol's Sasolburg operations, through a wheeling arrangement under a 20-year power purchase agreement with Sasol South Africa Limited
- Sponsors in 2022/2023 — in relation to the development of an 89MW wind farm, supplying renewable energy to the multinational mining and metals processing group, Sibanye Stillwater Limited, to support its mining operations via a wheeling arrangement
- Lenders' Legal Advisors in 2023 — in relation to the provision of financing in respect of a 150MW solar PV project wheeling energy across South Africa to multiple offtakers, being the first and largest privately developed n-type utility-scale project
- Preferred Bidder in relation to the public-private partnership with the KZN provincial government of for the provision of non-clinical services to the Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital
- Sponsors in 2023/2024 — in relation to its development of three wind power generation facilities of 140MW each, to supply energy on wheeled basis to various offtakers including mining houses and a trader
- Admitted as an Attorney of the High Court of South Africa, 2024
- LLB, University of Cape Town, 2021 (cum laude)
- Bachelor of Arts in Law and English Language and Literature, University of Cape Town, 2019 (double distinction)
- Graduated 5th in the graduating LLB class of 149 students, University of Cape Town, 2021.
- University Provincial Debating Champion, University of Cape Town, 2017.
- Awarded top Criminal Law student, 2020 and awarded top Gender Studies 'Understanding Gender' student, University of Cape Town, 2018.
