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Deon Govender

Of Counsel

Johannesburg +27 11 944 6901

  • About
  • Representative Matters
  • Credentials
  • About

    Deon Govender is a vice chair of the Africa Practice Group. He focuses his practice on project development and corporate and project finance transactions across Africa, with particular emphasis on southern Africa. His experience ranges from advising on the development and financing of renewable energy and thermal power projects and various other infrastructure assets in the transportation and telecommunications sectors. Deon’s experience additionally includes advising on financing independent power producer projects under the South African government’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme.

    Areas of Expertise

  • Practices and Industries
  • Representative Matters
    • Advised the global coordinator of the syndicate of commercial lenders participating in the project financing of Project Maamba, a 300 MW coal-fired power plant in Maamba, Zambia; the project was awarded “Power Deal of the Year” in 2015 by Project Finance International.
    • Advised Absa Bank (subsidiary of Barclays Bank plc) in its capacity as mandated lead arranger and lender in relation to Dorper Wind’s 100 MW wind farm in South Africa, co-owned by Sumitomo Corporation and supported by Hermes insurance cover; the project was named Euromoney’s “African Wind Deal of the Year” in 2012.
    • Advised the global coordinator of a syndicate of major African and European banks in relation to their refinancing of Ghana Telecommunications’ U.S. $1 billion-plus U.S. dollar and local currency refinancing.
    • Advised Development Bank of Southern Africa in relation to its project financing of the expansion of the Zambian-based Kariba North Bank Corporation Limited's hydropower capacity by 360 MW.

    • Advised International Finance Corporation in relation to the proposed privatization of Cargo Handling Corporation Limited, Mauritius’s sole port operator.
    • Advised Transnet Limited (a South African State-owned entity) in relation to the concession of its secondary branch lines rail network in South Africa.
    • Advised the concessionaire appointed by the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality to operate Phase lA of the Rea Vaya Bus Rapid Transit System in relation to the concession arrangements and the funding of the buses by BNDES (the Brazilian development funding agency) on an ECA basis. The transaction was selected as one of Global Trade Review's “Best Deals of the Year.”
    • Advised French Company Aluminum Pechiney (now part of Rio Tinto) in relation to the construction and operation of a US$2.2 billion aluminum smelter plant at the Port of Coega, along the east coast of South Africa.
    • Advised a major public finance institution on its possible debt and equity funding of the Gautrain Rapid Rail PPP Project on a project financing basis.
    • Advised Oger Telecom in relation to its application for South Africa's third mobile telecommunications license, including in relation to its network and IT support agreements.
    • Advised the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality in relation to its 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup commitments, including in relation to the upgrading of stadia, the establishment of the International Broadcast Centre and related infrastructure requirements.

    Areas of Expertise

  • Credentials
    Education
    • Georgetown University Law Center, LL.M., 1997
    • University of Natal, LL.B., 1995
    • University of Natal (now University of KwaZulu-Natal), B.Proc., 1994
    Bar Admissions
    • South Africa
    Languages
    • English
    Accolades
    • Selected to participate in the South African Banking Sector Education and Training Authority’s International Executive Development Programme undertaken in collaboration with New York University’s Stern Business School (2013)
    • Awarded the International Law Office Client Choice Award (Projects: South Africa) (2011)
    • Recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship (1996)
    Memberships and Affiliations
    • Executive Member, Loan Market Association (Africa Chapter); further serve on the organization’s drafting committee.
    • Trustee, Vumela Enterprise Development Trust (an enterprise development fund established by FirstRand Bank Limited and the Shalamuka Trust)

    Areas of Expertise

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