Individual DealMaker 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 the Individual DealMaker of the Year.

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

Information on the shortlisted candidates is then evaluated by the Independent Panel and they select a winner based on a variety of criteria, including but not limited to:

High profile deals/transactions |   Individual's contribution to the deal  |   Execution complexity  |   Peer recognition

2020 DealMaker of the Year

Anthony Knox

Gold Medal Award

Anthony Knox (Merrill Lynch) has over 15 years of investment banking experience. Over the past three years Anthony has played an instrumental role in executing some of SA’s highest profile deal, the most notable being Sasol’s disposal of a 50% interest in its Lake Charles Chemicals Project, the disposal of a 34.4% stake in Alexander Forbes by Marsh & McLennan, Old Mutual’s Managed Separation and as independent expert in the unbundling of FirstRand.

Other Nominees for 2020:​

Cobus Human (One Capital) has been in corporate finance for over 22 years and in 2015 was the recipient of the Individual DealMaker award for 2014. During 2020 Cobus worked on a number of noteworthy transactions including the take private of Peregrine by Capitalworks, the hostile takeover defence in relation to Quantum Foods by Country Bird and the placement of domestic medium-term notes in respect of Northam during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lydia Shadrach-Razzino (ENSafrica) has 20 years’ experience and heads up the firm’s Private Equity team and co-leads a large team in the Corporate Commercial department. During 2020 Lydia worked on several notable transactions - the acquisition of JET by The Foschini Group and the company’s R3,95 billion capital raise and the unwind by Anheuser-Busch InBev of its BEE transaction SAB Zenzele, deals which have been shortlisted in the 2020 DealMakers category awards.

2019 DealMaker of the Year

Jako van der Walt

Gold Medal sponsored by

Other Nominees for 2019:​

2018 DealMaker of the Year

Martin Kingston

Gold Medal Award

Neal Froneman - Sibanye-Stillwater, Steven Engelsman - Ince, Martin Kingston - Rothschild & Co, Marylou Greig - DealMakers and Sam Riley - Ansarada

Other Nominees for 2018:​

Jesse Watson

Sainesh Vallabh

2017 DealMaker of the Year

Neal Froneman

Gold Medal Award

Steven Engelsman (Ince) , Arie Maree (Ansarada), Neal Froneman (Sibanye-Stillwater), Richard Stewart (Sibanye-Stillwater) and Marylou Greig (DealMakers) 

Other Nominees for 2017:​

2016 DealMaker of the Year

Piet Ferreira

Gold Medal Award

Arie Maree (Ansarada), Charl Keyter (Sibanye Gold), Michael Walters (Ince) and Flint Macgregor (Citigroup) who collected the award on behalf of Piet Ferreira (Steinhoff)

Other Nominees for 2016:​

2015 DealMaker of the Year

John Gnodde

Gold Medal Award

Marylou Greig (DealMakers), Steven Engelsman (Ince), Neal Froneman (Sibanye Gold) and John Gnodde (Brait)

Other Nominees for 2015:​

2014 DealMaker of the Year

Cobus Human

Gold Medal Award

Steven Engelsman (Ince), Cobus Human (One Capital), Charl Keyter (Sibanye Gold), Daryl Wray (Cell C) and Marylou Greig (DealMakers)

Other Nominees for 2014:​