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Leading African law firm Deneys adds real estate expert Alex de Wet as a partner among new hires
In the wake of the full launch of its new brand identity earlier this year, pioneering South African law firm Deneys has continued to actively build an even stronger future with today’s announcement that real estate partner Alex de Wet and finance associate Tiyana Ramchunder are joining the Cape Town office
Today’s arrival of Alex de Wet as a new partner in the Cape Town office of Deneys strengthens the freshly independent South African firm’s real estate capability at exactly the right moment, Deneys CEO Brent Botha tells Africa Legal.
“Alex brings deep sector insight into a market that is evolving quickly and where clients need practical, commercially grounded advice,” says Botha. “His experience in complex property and rental frameworks makes him a natural fit for our Cape Town team and for the clients we serve.”
De Wet has proven leadership in directing diverse legal teams and committees, with a focus on governance, risk mitigation, and innovative property solutions. Over nearly two decades in practice, including a decade at Director level at South African firms, he has extensive experience collaborating with financial institutions and government entities to drive sustainable property development projects and secure funding, ensuring alignment with regulatory standards and stakeholder objectives.
A law and commerce graduate of the University of the Free State, de Wet joins Deneys from his position as a Director at Venter & Associates. He has previously been a Director at Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr, and Webbers Attorneys.
De Wet is one of several new and recent hires for Deneys, with finance lawyer Tiyana Ramchunder also joining the Cape Town office this week, as an associate, environmental and sustainability lawyer Natercia Dos Santos Niz joining the Durban office as an associate in May, and aviation and insurance lawyer Jakop Mphofu joining the firm’s Johannesburg office as an associate earlier in the year.
“As Deneys continues to define its next chapter as a proudly independent South African firm, these appointments reflect a clear and deliberate investment in recruiting top talent across our key markets,” says Botha, speaking with Africa Legal.
As the world moves, Deneys is moving with it.
Ramchunder’s arrival from the Debt Finance and Debt Capital Markets team at international firm White & Case adds depth to Deneys’ financial and transactional offering, particularly in complex, cross-border financings that increasingly define clients’ needs, adds Botha. “She represents the next generation of South African legal talent: technically strong, internationally experienced, and client-focused.”
Alongside the recent promotions to Senior Associate of admiralty, shipping and transport lawyer Nicholene Mazibuko, real estate attorneys and conveyancers Elam Matthews and Tholakele Mrubata, commercial litigator Hlonela Mayosi, and public interest lawyer Nicola Irving, plus the arrivals of Mphofu and dos Santos, welcoming Ramchunder and De Wet to the firm this week underscores the breadth of Deneys’ ambition, says Botha, “and the diversity of expertise we are building across the firm”.
“Since stepping out independently, we have been very clear: we are actively building, not standing still,” he adds. “These hires are not incremental—they are deliberate signals of where we are going and the calibre of people who want to build that future with us.”