CDH Conversations

CDH is pleased to announce the launch of its new podcast series, Clause & Effect, which provides listeners with an informed and engaging view into the intersection of business and law.

Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr (CDH) is pleased to announce the launch of its new podcast series, Clause & Effect, which provides listeners with an informed and engaging view into the intersection of business and law. Each episode will feature conversations with CDH’s leading practitioners and industry specialists, offering practical insights on key developments shaping the South African and regional business landscape.

The inaugural episode, hosted by Phetha Mchunu, features Allan Hannie, in the Corporate & Commercial practice, in a discussion focused on the evolving role of broad-based black economic empowerment (B-BBEE) and public interest considerations within merger control policies under South Africa’s competition framework.

Recorded on the same day as the Inaugural Company Law Developments Conference, this episode draws on real-world examples and current regulatory trends to examine:

• The interplay and current misalignment between B-BBEE legislation and the Competition Act;
• Practical challenges arising from merger conditions relating to ownership and employee share ownership plans (ESOPs); and
• How companies can proactively integrate transformation into their commercial strategy to achieve both compliance and long-term business value.

Mr Hannie emphasises the importance of approaching B-BBEE not as a compliance hurdle, but as a strategic tool capable of driving competitiveness, inclusivity, and organisational cohesion.

The discussion underscores CDH’s commitment to providing thought leadership on issues at the forefront of corporate governance, transformation, and regulatory reform.

Click here to watch - https://youtu.be/nQjEHAEaAtY

“Transformation, when approached with purpose, strengthens business performance and creates shared value across stakeholders,” notes Allan.

On this month's episode, Njeri had the pleasure of co-hosting with Ed Burbidge, Head of Emerging Markets at ICON, as they sat down with Biju Mohandas, Partner and Head of Healthcare at LeapFrog Investments.  

 The participants unpacked LeapFrog’s strategic exit from GoodLife Pharmacies, a conversation packed with insights on private equity, healthcare innovation, and health tech trends shaping Africa’s future.

In the third episode of our Immigration Law Podcast Series, Lee Masuku and Taryn York, in the Employment Law practice and Immigration Law service offering, discuss South Africa's various permanent residence permits categories, highlighting the legal requirements and the relevant distinctions between temporary and permanent residence statuses for some categories.

Statelessness is an invisible crisis that affects millions around the world.

In this episode of CDH Conversations, Elgene Roos, Senior Associate in CDH's Pro Bono & Human Rights practice, sits down with Palesa Maloisane, an attorney at Lawyers for Human Rights, to unpack what it means to live without citizenship and the real-world consequences of being undocumented.

Together, they explore how statelessness intersects with gender and children’s rights. Through personal stories and legal insight, the conversation sheds light on the barriers that keep people “invisible” and the constitutional promise that everyone has the right to a name, a nationality, and a place to belong.

In episode 3 of our Beyond 16 Days Podcast Series, Director Brigitta Mangale, Senior Associate Elgene Roos, and Candidate Attorney Sibonokuhle Baart in the Pro Bono & Human Rights practice discuss the legal landscape of LGBTQIA+ rights in South Africa and the role of stakeholders in bridging the gap between the law on paper and lived experiences.

New Halloween-themed CDH Conversations Podcast Episode!

New Halloween-themed CDH Conversations Podcast Episode! Ever feel like some companies are just lurking in the shadows with businesses that aren’t dead, but not quite alive either? Join Nastascha Harduth in the Corporate Debt, Turnaround & Restructuring sector and David Pinnock in the Corporate & Commercial practice to talk about the rise of “zombie companies”, why they’re haunting the market, and what it really takes to revive them…or bury them.

Tune in for real talk, practical tips, and a few Halloween chills!

In this episode of CDH Conversations, Senior Associates Taryn York, Lee Masuku and Associate Sashin Naidoo in the Employment Law practice, discussed substance abuse as an incapacity issue in the workplace, emphasising the importance of distinguishing between misconduct and incapacity due to addiction.This distinction was illustrated by the Labour Court's decision in PSA obo Van Wyk v Department of Social Development: Western Cape Provincial Government and Others, where an employee's dismissal was found to be unfair because the employer failed to treat his absenteeism due to alcoholism as misconduct as opposed to a medical condition requiring reasonable accommodation.

In this episode CDH Conversations, Director, Fiona Leppan and Senior Associate, Kgodisho Phashe in the Employment Law practice, unpack the Labour Court’s recent judgment in Mathebe v Cullinan Diamond Mine (Pty) Ltd [2025] ZALCHJHB 330.

In this episode of CDH Conversations, Director, Fiona Leppan and Senior Associate Kgodisho Phashe in the Employment Law practice unpack the Labour Court’s recent judgment in Mathebe v Cullinan Diamond Mine (Pty) Ltd [2025] ZALCHJHB 330. The case highlights the importance of bringing workplace health and safety disputes before the correct forum and within statutory time limits.

Mr Mathebe, a former miner, alleged occupational asthma and sought damages and loss of earnings. However, the Court dismissed the claim on the grounds that it lacked jurisdiction and that any civil claim brought in a correct forum had prescribed. They discuss the implications for employees, the limits of the Labour Court’s powers, and key lessons for navigating occupational health and safety disputes.

In this episode of our Immigration Law Podcast Series, Lee Masuku and Taryn York unpack the different temporary residence visas that allow foreign nationals to work in South Africa, including key updates on recent regulatory changes.

In the second episode of our Immigration Law Podcast Series, Senior Associates Lee Masuku and Taryn York in the Employment Law practice and Immigration Law service offering, provide an overview of the various temporary residence visas available in South Africa, with a focus on the visas which authorise foreign nationals to work in the country. These visas include General Work Visas, Critical Skills Visas, Intra-Company Transfer Visas, and Short to Long Term Visitors Visas.

In addition, they discuss the purpose, duration, and conditions of the temporary visas outlined, as well as recent regulatory changes for certain visa categories.

Immigration compliance for employers in SouthAfrica involves understanding the legal framework regulating the employment of foreign nationals, including the duties imposed on employers by the ImmigrationAct 13 of 2002 and the Regulations to the Immigration Act.

This four-part podcast series will act as a guideline to immigration compliance for employers. 

In this introductory episode, Lee Masuku and Taryn York in Employment Law practice and Immigration Law service offering, unpack key aspects of the Immigration Act, including an employer's obligations on the employment of foreign nationals and the duties imposed on foreignnationals.