Xolani Nyali

Xolani Nyali is a Partner at Bowmans in Cape Town, specializing in Competition Law. He advises clients on domestic and cross‑border competition law matters, including mergers, behavioural practices, training, and compliance, providing strategic advice across the African continent.

Xolani has led numerous significant merger transactions and behavioural matters, advising clients in respect of merger control and behavioural matters across several African jurisdictions including Angola, Botswana, CEMAC, COMESA, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, WAEMU, and Zambia. He has experience across a broad range of sectors, including property, construction, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, financial services, private equity, technology (including fintech), mobility, and the automotive industry. Notable matters include advising the Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Aramco) on its US$2.65 billion acquisition of Valvoline's global products business, advising AP Moller – Maersk on its acquisition of Senator International, and advising Sinochem Group and ChemChina on their strategic merger. He also advised Natura Cosmeticos on its acquisition of Avon Products, AbbVie Inc. on its acquisition of Allergan, and Volkswagen on the competition approvals for its acquisition of Europcar.

He holds a BCom and LL.B from Rhodes University and an LL.M from the University of the Western Cape. He has been seconded to Bowmans’ Kenya office twice and to the Brussels office of an international law firm.

Xolani has been recognised as a Band 5 lawyer in Competition/Antitrust in South Africa by Chambers Global (2026), as a Next Generation Partner for Competition by The Legal 500 (2025, 2026), and as a Competition Future Leader by Who's Who Legal for five consecutive years. He was also the recipient of the Lexology Client Choice Award in 2022.