Deal of the Year

DealMakers Annual Gala Awards

At the end of each year, DealMakers calls on the corporate finance industry to submit their nominations for Deal of the Year.

With the assistance of the independent panel, and taking into account the number of nominations each deal has received, a shortlist of 3 - 5 deals is announced. 

These deals are then evaluated by the Independent Panel and they select a winner based on a variety of criteria, including but not limited to:

The transformational aspects of the deal   |   The execution complexity   |   The deal size   |   The potential value creation of the deal 

2019 Deal of the Year 

Submission deadline for 2019 nominations: FRIDAY 22 NOVEMBER 2020

If qualifying deals will only be announced after the closing date, these must be submitted by 6 January 2020. Please advise beforehand if this is the case.

Gold Medal sponsored by

2018 Deal of the Year 

Sam Riley - Ansarada, Neal Froneman - Sibanye-Stillwater, Ingrid Johnson - Old Mutual, Itumeleng Mahabane - Brunswick and Marylou Greig - DealMakers

The Managed Separation of Old Mutual Plc

Advisers to the Deal

Gold Medal Award

Other Nominees for 2018:​

Sanlam's acquisition of the remaining 53.4% stake in SAHAM Finances

2017 Deal of the Year 

Vodacom acquisition of an indirect 34.94% stake in Safaricom

Arie Maree (Ansarada), Marina Bidoli (Brunswick), Sainesh Vallabh  (Vodacom), Nadya Bhettay (Vodacom), Colin Coleman (Goldman Sachs), Neal Froneman (Sibanye-Stillwater), Willem Baars (Goldman Sachs) and Till Streichert (Vodacom)

Advisers to the deal:

Financial Advisers: Goldman Sachs; UBS

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Independent Expert: Deloitte

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Sponsors: Nedbank CIB

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Legal Advisers: ENSafrica; Webber  Wentzel; Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr

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Reporting Accountants: PwC  

Gold Medal Award

Other Nominees for 2017:​

Barclays sell down of Barclays Africa

Distell restructure

Firstrand's acquisition of Aldermore

2016 Deal of the Year 

Acquisition by Sibanye Gold of Stillwater Mining

Advisers to the deal:

Financial Advisers: Citigroup Global Markets; HSBC Bank plc; Quinsele Resources; BofA Merrill Lynch

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Sponsors : JPMorgan 

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Legal Advisers: ENSafrica; Linklaters; Jones Day; Hollard & Hart

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Reporting Accountants: KPMG

Arie Maree (Ansarada), Bryony Watson (Sibanye Gold), Charl Keyter (Sibanye Gold) and Marina Bidoli (Brunswick)

Gold Medal Award

Other Nominees for 2016:​

Bidvest / Bidcorp unbundling

Pick 'n Pay pyramid unwind

Merger of new Europa Property Investments and Rockcastle Global Real Estate

2015 Deal of the Year 

Samuel Pearson (Standard Bank), Neal Froneman (Sibanye Gold), Natalie Di-Sante (Standard Bank) and Stephen Dearing (Ansarada)

Acquisition by Anheuser-Busch InBev of SABMiller

Advisers to the deal:

Financial Advisers : Standard Bank; Deutsche Bank; JPMorgan; Goldman Sachs International; Lazard; BNP Paribas; Merrill Lynch International; Robey Warsaw; JPMorgan Cazenove; Morgan Stanley

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Sponsor : JPMorgan

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Legal Advisers : Bowman Gilfillan; Webber Wentzel; ENSafrica; Freshfields Bruckhause Deringer; Cravath, Swaine & Moore; Clifford Chance; Linklaters; Hogan Lovells International; Hogan Lovells US; Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton

Gold Medal Award

Other Nominees for 2015:​

Acquisition by Sibanye Gold of Aquarius platinum

Reverse takeover by Mediclinic of Al Noor Hospitals 

Acquisition by Sibanya Gold of the Amplats Rustenburg operations

Acquisition by Oceana of Daybrook Fisheries

2014 Deal of the Year 

Acquisition by Woolworths of David Jones

Financial Advisers:

Rothschild, Standard Bank

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Sponsor:

Rand Merchant Bank, Standard Bank

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Legal Advisers:

Webber Wentzel, Linklaters, Gilbert + Tobin

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Reporting Accountant:

Ernst & Young

Advisers to the deal:

Arie Maree (Ansarada), Ian Moir (Wooloworths), Daryl Wray (Cell C) and Charl Keyter (Sibange Gold)

Gold Medal Award

Other Nominees for 2014:​

Standard Bank's disposal of a 60% stake in Standard Bank Plc to ICBC

Growthpoint's acquisition of Acucap

Vodacom's acquisition of Neotel

Exxaro Resources' acquisition of TCSA

Sun International's acquisition of an additional stake in Monticello

Northam Platnuim's BEE deal

Steinhoff's acquisition of Pepkor

Creation of Coco-Cola Beverages Africa