Team size: 14

Q&A

What are the most significant cases or transactions that your legal team has recently been involved in? 

Over the past year, our legal, regulatory and compliance team has been deeply involved in several strategic initiatives that have had a direct impact on Telekom Networks Malawi plc (TNM)’s growth, profitability and long-term sustainability. 

One of our most significant achievements was leading the successful renewal of TNM’s telecommunications licence for a further ten-year period, securing long-term regulatory certainty for one of Malawi’s leading telecommunications and digital infrastructure providers. The licence renewal was strategically important to the business and required extensive engagement with regulators and key stakeholders to ensure continuity of operations and support the company’s long-term growth ambitions. 

We also played a pivotal role in strengthening the company’s capital structure by recommending and subsequently implementing a recapitalisation transaction through a specific issue for cash, aimed at restructuring the balance sheet and retiring high-cost debt. The transaction successfully raised MK30 billion (approximately USD17.5 million), significantly improving the company’s financial position and enhancing shareholder value. I led and oversaw the structuring and execution of the transaction, including the preparation and negotiation of transaction documentation, management of regulatory approvals, shareholder engagement, compliance with listing requirements, and the fulfilment of extensive disclosure and governance obligations associated with a publicly listed company. The transaction was one of the most significant corporate finance exercises undertaken by a company in Malawi  in recent years and demonstrated the increasingly strategic role of the legal function in delivering commercial outcomes. 

Beyond individual transactions, our focus has been on creating regulatory advantage for the business. We have strengthened proactive engagement with regulators, government and industry stakeholders to influence policy outcomes on matters with significant commercial impact. This reflects our philosophy that legal and regulatory teams should not merely respond to rules but should actively help shape the environment in which businesses operate. 

Internally, we have transformed legal service delivery by embedding legal support closer to business units, reducing transaction turnaround times, and strengthening both dispute prevention and management through more proactive contract governance, commercial oversight and early risk identification. Where disputes arise, we apply a structured, business-aligned approach to resolution, including settlement, litigation or precedent-setting strategies where appropriate. As a result, the legal function is increasingly recognised as a contributor to revenue growth, EBITDA protection and business agility.

In light of increasing regulatory scrutiny across sectors in East Africa, how are you adapting your compliance frameworks to stay ahead of change? 

Our approach is founded on the principle of compliance by design. Rather than treating compliance as a control function that intervenes after decisions have been made, we integrate legal, regulatory and compliance considerations into business planning, product development and commercial decision-making from the outset. 

The telecommunications and digital services sectors are experiencing rapid regulatory evolution, particularly in areas such as consumer protection, digital financial services, data governance and competition regulation. To stay ahead of change, we have strengthened regulatory horizon scanning, enhanced engagement with regulators and established governance mechanisms that ensure emerging regulatory developments are identified and addressed early. 

A key focus has been moving from reactive regulatory management to proactive regulatory influence. We engage constructively with policymakers and regulators on issues that affect industry development and digital inclusion while ensuring TNM maintains the highest standards of governance and compliance. This approach has enabled us to minimise regulatory surprises, reduce business disruption and position the company to respond quickly to new opportunities and obligations.

How is your legal function leveraging technology to enhance efficiency in areas such as contract management and compliance monitoring? 

Technology is central to our strategy of enabling faster business execution while maintaining effective risk management. 

We are implementing digital tools that provide end-to-end visibility across contracts, disputes, regulatory obligations and compliance activities. Our objective is to create a legal function that is data-driven, transparent and capable of supporting business decisions in real time. 

A major area of focus has been improving speed to market. We have introduced service-level standards, standardised contracting frameworks and embedded legal support within business teams to reduce bottlenecks and accelerate decision-making. Technology is helping us automate workflows, improve tracking and reporting, and provide management with greater visibility over legal and regulatory risks. 

Importantly, we view technology not simply as a tool for efficiency but as an enabler of strategic value. By reducing administrative burdens and improving access to information, the team can focus on higher-value activities such as regulatory strategy, complex negotiations, stakeholder engagement and revenue protection. The result is a more responsive legal function that contributes directly to business growth while maintaining strong governance and compliance standards.