GHR Africa Desk

Northern Africa, and sub-Saharan Africa in particular, is a booming market. The continent is increasingly coming into focus for investors and offers a large pool of opportunities in a wide range of sectors such as food processing, digital technology, energy, financial services, transport, industry, telecommunications and retail trade. Investment is particularly supported and necessitated by the population explosion and increasing urbanisation.

With increased cross-regional programmes such as the recent Pan-African Free Trade Agreement and an increasingly attractive tax regime, the continent offers a more and more favourable environment for investment. However, to take advantage of the business opportunities Africa offers, it is essential to be able to rely on experienced partners and solid local knowledge. Conversely, such is also a necessity for African companies considering the idea of gaining a foothold in Europe and entering European markets with their own structures. In order to benefit directly from the added value in target markets and to take advantage of the many opportunities in the area of know-how development, a proper legal setup is key.

In recent years, GHR has built up a network of reliable partners to offer our clients solid expertise and support in most African countries. We back up our clients in taking advantage of opportunities, but also in overcoming challenges - both with regard to Swiss companies with projects in Africa and, vice versa, with African companies with projects in Switzerland.

Why GHR

For several years, our lawyers have built trusted relationships with key players in Africa's private sector. Our ability to listen, combined with proven expertise in corporate, commercial, labour and tax matters, enables us to offer our clients optimized, tailor-made solutions. Our firm is strongly committed to cooperation between Europe and Africa and regularly participates in projects aimed at promoting exchange and cooperation on an intercontinental basis.

We are constantly expanding our network in Africa and Europe and accompany our clients on a long-term and sustainable basis - here in Switzerland as well as in relation to activities and events in Africa. Our goal and our aspiration is to serve our clients as a competent, central contact and coordinator for commercial law issues in Europe and Africa and to support them in their Euro-African projects in the best possible way.

Advice for Companies in an Intercontinental Context

Our expertise includes, amongst other:

Establishment of subsidiaries;
Restructuring of intercontinental groups;
Mergers and acquisitions;
Development of intercontinental employee benefit plans;
Drafting of purchase and service contracts and and work contracts (including general terms and conditions) for suppliers and end customers;
Advising on intercontinental outsourcing and nearshoring (intra-group and with third parties);
Drafting of partnership structures and partnership agreements;
Advice on labour and social security law for employees and employers;
Support in settlement issues including acquisition of residential and commercial property;
Advice on tax optimisation of intercontinental participation structures, in consideration of eventual double taxation treaties;
Support in tax planning and recovery of withholding taxes from private individuals;
Training on general legal and contractual understanding and scam prevention.

GHR beyond

Under the name "GHR beyond - Africa Edition", we publish a newsletter on a quarterly basis. In each newsletter, we focus on a specific African country. Each issue of the GHR beyond is divided into four sections:

some general economic data about the target country with reference to Switzerland;
answers to selected questions for Swiss companies interested in activities in the target country;
answers to selected selected questions for companies from the target country that are interested in activities in Switzerland;
and finally, an interview with a company or person doing business between Switzerland and the African target country.

Find all issues of GHR beyond here. Never miss an issue by registering for our newsletter list.