Building on six successful years of hosting GC Forums for the extractives community—and following its relaunch as an independent brand—Africa Legal is expanding its event portfolio to address further critical themes at the intersection of business, law, and geopolitics.
This flagship forum will coincide with the Biennial IBA African Regional Forum Conference (17–19 September 2025), creating a powerful week of legal insight, business strategy, and cross-border collaboration.
“The role of the in-house lawyer in Africa is changing rapidly. They are not only legal experts but also strategic partners who must manage risk, support business growth, and make sense of complex regulatory environments across multiple jurisdictions,” said Steven De Backer, CEO of Afriwise. “This collaboration with Africa Legal will offer a high-impact space for legal teams to connect, learn, and lead.”
Scott Cowan, CEO of Africa Legal, added: “This is more than an event—it’s the next chapter in how we support in-house lawyers across the continent. We are proud to work with Afriwise, a business that shares our commitment to elevating African legal talent and enabling real-time, actionable conversations around governance, risk and geopolitical complexity.”
GC Forum 2025 | Governance, Risk & Compliance will explore;
How legal teams in Africa can navigate geopolitical shifts, regulatory uncertainty, and trade disruption
How GCs can drive business resilience and make data driven decisions while shaping a proactive legal and governance strategy in a rapidly changing world
Case studies and the reality of doing business in high-risk or high-growth jurisdictions
How in-house counsel are evolving from risk managers to strategic enablers of growth and investment
This event is free to attend for;
General Counsels and in-house legal teams
Leadership, risk, and compliance professionals
Government relations, policy, and regulatory experts
Investors and financiers active in Africa
NGOs and academia
Africa Legal will also continue building this community year-round through webinars, roundtables, online learning, and additional GC Forum events linked to key industry moments.
To express your interest in speaking, sponsoring or registering for this event please contact Scott Cowan on scott@africa-legal.com
Join us in shaping the future of legal leadership across Africa.