When we first set out to gather insight from in-house counsel across Africa, the ambition was modest. The goal? Gaining an understanding of the African General Counsel (GC) perspective.
What we ended up with was something far more powerful.
This became the most comprehensive, pan-African study of its kind: 129 legal professionals, 41 countries and 21 expert commentators. Not just asking questions, but capturing on-the-ground perspectives across borders, industries, and realities.
Access the full research report.
No one had tried to draw the thread across jurisdictions. To map the patterns. To identify the commonalities and the blind spots. To uncover where legal teams were struggling alone, and where shared challenges could lead to collective solutions.
The Legal Blind Spot No One Was Addressing
Let’s be honest. For years, the African GC has been navigating some of the most fragmented, fast-changing legal and regulatory environments in the world.
Despite the rising pressure of regulatory overhauls, geopolitical uncertainty and economic instability, there was no consolidated intelligence, benchmark or clarity.
This wasn’t just a knowledge gap, it was a leadership gap.
The Data Exposes a Market Problem
Here’s the hard truth:
- 56% of GCs say changing regulations are their biggest challenge
- 70% admit they have no tools to manage those changes
- Only 19% have access to a “bird’s eye view” of regulations across jurisdictions
How can we expect legal teams to operate effectively across different regulatory environments without real-time intelligence?
"This is not a technology problem. It’s a perception problem. Legal teams are still too often treated as cost centres, yet the data tells a different story."
General Counsel are Business Leaders. It’s Time We Start Treating Them Like It.
The role of the African GC is evolving and fast:
- 83% oversee compliance
- 41% manage ethics
- 37% handle government relations
These are not sideline players but are central to business strategy. Yet, half of the legal departments surveyed are understaffed and over half reported rising stress and anxiety.
The message to CEOs, boards, and investors is simple: If your GC is your first line of defence, give them the armour they need.
This is a Platform for Progress
The report doesn’t just paint a picture of challenges. It points to a way forward:
- Legal tech adoption must move from ambition to execution
- Legal intelligence needs to be real-time and locally grounded
- Legal teams must be built for more than firefighting, they need to be embedded in strategic growth conversations
Not Just for GCs. Not Just for In-House. This Is for the Entire Legal Ecosystem.
This isn’t a “GC-only” resource. Whether you're in private practice, advising corporate clients, part of a regulatory agency, or building legal tech - this report matters.
It’s a blueprint for how legal leadership can and should evolve in Africa.
From Complexity to Clarity: Let’s Move
This started as a simple initiative to listen to our community. It turned into a continent-wide pulse check.
Now the conversation is open. The data is here.
What we do next is where the real opportunity lies.
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The research report is the result of a thoughtful collaboration between the ACGC (African Corporate and Government Counsel Forum) and Afriwise.
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This article was written by Jessica Knight, Head of Marketing at Afriwise. Read the original publication here.