Company Secretary & Legal Manager

SUMMARY:
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POSITION INFO:

A well-established, privately owned group operating across the agricultural and logistics value chain is seeking an experienced Company Secretary & Legal Manager to lead corporate governance and provide in-house legal support across multiple entities.

This is a senior role responsible for ensuring best-practice governance, statutory compliance, and sound legal risk management while supporting Boards, Committees, and executive leadership.

Key Responsibilities

Company Secretarial & Corporate Governance

• Act as the designated Company Secretary for multiple entities within the Group.

• Support the Boards of Directors and Board Committees by advising on governance best practice and statutory compliance.

• Prepare, coordinate, and distribute Board and Committee agendas, packs, and minutes within required deadlines.

• Ensure accurate recording, approval, and circulation of minutes, resolutions, and action items.

• Facilitate Board, Committee, and governance-related meetings with Directors and senior management.

• Ensure compliance with the Companies Act, Memoranda of Incorporation, governance policies, charters, and approval frameworks.

• Develop, review, and maintain governance policies, Board charters, and Delegations of Authority frameworks.

• Maintain statutory records, registers, entity records, and Group structure documentation.

• Manage statutory filings and submissions, including annual returns and lodgements with CIPC.

• Draft AGM documentation, Board, Shareholder, and Trust resolutions.

• Liaise with external auditors, service providers, and internal finance teams on governance-related matters.

• Deliver corporate governance initiatives and improvements on an ongoing basis.

Legal Management

• Provide general in-house legal advice to Boards, Committees, executive leadership, and senior management.

• Liaise with external legal advisors on specialised legal matters.

• Draft, review, and update legal documentation including contracts, terms and conditions, and agreements.

• Identify, assess, and manage legal risks across contracts, operations, and claims.

• Monitor legal developments that may impact the organisation and advise relevant stakeholders accordingly.

• Maintain legal filing, documentation, and retrieval systems.

• Manage and coordinate amendments to Trust Deeds and submissions to the Master of the High Court.

• Oversee B-BBEE compliance, audits, and verification processes across Group entities.

• Monitor and support the implementation of B-BBEE initiatives relating to ownership and management control.

Requirements

• Strong working knowledge of the Companies Act and corporate governance best practice.

• Proven ability to operate at Board and executive level.

• High levels of integrity, discretion, and confidentiality.

• Excellent planning, organisational, and time management skills.

• Strong leadership and stakeholder engagement ability.

• Exceptional attention to detail and accuracy.

• Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet strict deadlines.

• Clear, confident written and verbal communication skills.

Experience and Qualifications

• BA LLB or BCom Law degree.

• Minimum of 5 years’ experience in a Company Secretary and/or in-house legal role.

• Experience supporting Boards, Committees, and executive leadership within complex group structures.

• Exposure to B-BBEE compliance and governance within South African organisations will be advantageous.