By Africa’s General Counsel at a Crossroads, Landmark Survey Shows
129 General Counsel and senior in-house legal professionals were surveyed across 41 African countries.
Key highlights:
-
56% cited increasing regulatory pressure as their top challenge.
-
70% said in-country legal intelligence is extremely important, yet only 19% use tools to track regulatory change.
-
83% now oversee compliance, 41% handle ethics, and 37% are involved in government relations.
-
56% operate on annual legal budgets below $150,000.
-
48% say their teams are understaffed.
-
53% noted rising stress and anxiety levels within their legal teams.
A Shifting Role with Limited Resources
General Counsel across Africa are now balancing legal work with broader responsibilities, including risk, compliance, ESG, and governance. These insights are from On the Horizon: A 2025 African GC Perspective, a landmark survey by the African Corporate and Government Counsel Forum (ACGC) and Afriwise.
The report, based on anonymised input from 129 senior legal leaders, shows a profession caught between transformation and resource scarcity. While more than 80% now handle compliance formally, they do so with limited support. Nearly half reported having no structured tools to manage changing legal obligations across jurisdictions.
Cynthia Lareine, Director and Co-Founder of ACGC, said: “This is a defining moment for in-house legal teams. GCs are shaping governance, influencing strategy and guiding businesses, yet many still lack the systems and investment to succeed.”
Africa’s General Counsel at a Crossroads, Landmark Survey Shows
Regulatory Complexity and Rising Expectations
Legal fragmentation remains a major issue. Laws often shift rapidly, but access to reliable, up-to-date legal information remains patchy. As a result, many GCs depend on external firms or informal networks for regulatory updates.
Nankunda Katangaza, also a Director and Co-Founder at ACGC, noted: “General Counsel aren’t just managing risk. They’re supporting leadership, enabling growth and guiding companies through uncertainty.”
Commentary from over 20 legal experts added deeper insight. Many pointed to growing pressure on GCs to meet international expectations in areas such as ESG, anti-corruption, and digital transformation—despite uneven local regulation. Others flagged the challenge of managing cross-border business activity and engaging governments in the absence of harmonised legal frameworks.
The report serves as both a benchmark and strategic roadmap. Its authors hope the findings will inspire investment in legal infrastructure and support the continued evolution of in-house counsel across Africa.
Read the full report: https://acgc.africa
https://africabusinessnews.co.ke/ncbas-comprehensive-property-finance-solutions/
Comments