Biography: Mergers and Acquisitions

John Bellew is co-head of the Webber Wentzel private equity practice. He has over 20 years of corporate experience specialising in all aspects of private equity and venture capital, including fund formation and transactional advice, mergers and acquisitions, including local and cross-border transactions, local and international taxation, exchange control, capital markets and acquisition finance.

Over the last few years, John has advised prominent South African and international private equity houses on some of the largest private equity transactions undertaken in the South African market. He has also represented private equity borrowers with respect to all layers of debt raised by them in connection with their acquisitions. He has represented high yield lenders to major South African private equity transactions. He has also formed a number of private equity funds with a focus on South and sub-Saharan Africa.

John obtained his BComm and LLB, cum laude, from the University of Natal.

John has advised on some of the most significant private equity transactions yet undertaken in the South African market. Significant M&A transactions include: representing Bain Capital in its acquisition of Edcon, the largest public-to-private yet in the South African market; representing Ethos in relation to the acquisition of the House of Busby Limited and iDwala Industrial Holdings (Proprietary) Limited; representing the high yield lenders to the consortium acquiring Alexander Forbes Limited; and representing Ethos in relation to disposals of First Lifestyle, IST and Tsebo Outsourcing Group.

Some significant fund formation transactions include representing Capitalworks in relation to the establishment of a suite of private equity funds; representing Ethos in connection with the raising of Ethos Private Equity Fund VI; representing Absa in relation to the raising of Absa Private Equity Fund I; representing Old Mutual and Macquarie in relation to the raising of African Infrastructure Investment Fund 2; representing the sponsors in the formation of Trinitas Private Equity Fund I; and representing Vantage Capital in the raising of Vantage Mezzanine Fund 2.