Ryan Kitcat

Ryan Kitcat is a Partner in the Corporate Department and a member of the Mergers and Acquisitions Practice at Bowmans in Johannesburg, specialising in mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, and ESG. He advises clients across agribusiness, energy and natural resources, financial institutions, fintech, education, hospitality, tourism, insurance, mining, private security, and ICT sectors, with a principal focus on public and private M&A, including complex, high‑stakes domestic and cross‑border transactions, distressed M&A, local ownership (including B‑B‑BEE) transactions, shareholder disputes, and shareholder activism.

Ryan has advised Standard Bank on its ZAR 10.6 billion buyout of minority shareholders and subsequent take‑private of Liberty Holdings Ltd (Capital Markets Team of the Year, African Legal Awards 2022); Linde plc on its ZAR 2.8 billion buyout of minority shareholders of African Oxygen Ltd (Afrox); ATON GmbH on its proposed ZAR 7.6 billion takeover of Murray & Roberts Holdings Ltd; SBA Communications and Paradigm Infrastructure on their acquisition of Airtel Tanzania's telecom tower portfolio for approximately USD 175 million; Chevron Global Energy on the sale of its South African and Botswanan assets for approximately USD 1 billion; DAZN Group and Access Industries on the reorganisation and separation of their Perform Content business involving 30 countries; and Marriott International on its ZAR 2.2 billion acquisition of the Protea Hotel Group (M&A Team of the Year, African Legal Awards 2014). He has also advised on multiple telecommunications tower acquisitions in South Africa, and cross‑border transactions in Tanzania, Zanzibar, and sub‑Saharan Africa.

Ryan holds a BA and LL.B from the University of Cape Town, an LL.M from the University of Florida, and has completed programmes at UCT Graduate School of Business and the Cambridge Institute of Sustainability Leadership. He is an admitted attorney of the High Court of South Africa and a member of the International Bar Association. He contributed to the PRI, UNEP FI, and the Generation Foundation report A Legal Framework for Impact, and developed the language for B Corps in South Africa. He is rated as a Rising Star Partner for Corporate and M&A by IFLR1000 (2024–2025).