Consultant Partner - Corporate Law and Commerce

Mustapha Ali Adam is a seasoned corporate attorney based in Gaborone, Botswana, where he serves as a Partner in the Corporate Law & Commerce practice at Rammika Tafa & Jallow. A graduate of Newcastle University with an LL.B. (2013) and a proud member of the Law Society of Botswana, Mustapha brings a robust academic foundation and more than six years of specialized transactional experience to his role. His work ethic is rooted in a commitment to guiding clients through complex legal landscapes, ensuring that their strategic objectives align seamlessly with regulatory requirements.
Since joining Rammika Tafa & Jallow in December 2023, Mustapha has played a pivotal advisory role within the Debt Collection Department, where he advises both domestic and international lenders on restructuring, recovery, and enforcement matters. In this capacity, he works closely with major financial institutions, publicly listed parastatals, and private corporations, helping them navigate Botswana’s evolving regulatory framework. His deep understanding of corporate governance and insolvency issues enables him to craft pragmatic solutions that protect clients’ interests while preserving value.

Prior to his current position, Mustapha honed his corporate and commercial expertise at two prominent law firms. From July 2016 to July 2018, he was an Associate in the Corporate & Commercial team at Desai Law Group. During that period, he advised the Marubeni/Posco consortium of lenders on the Independent Power Purchase Agreement for Morupule Units 5 & 6 with Botswana Power Corporation—a transaction crucial to addressing Botswana’s growing energy needs. He also structured and obtained regulatory approvals for the sale of a 50% stake in BA ISAGO University to Embury Botswana, a deal valued at approximately BWP 150 million in 2016. As the Botswana legal advisor to Glencore’s proposed acquisition of Chevron’s downstream assets in Southern Africa, Mustapha contributed to what was, at the time, an approximately US$ 1 billion transaction. In addition, he guided the Botswana Stock Exchange through its demutualization process and advised Botswana Telecommunications Corporation Limited on post‑listing governance matters following the government’s landmark privatization and IPO—Botswana’s largest to date. He rounded out his notable assignments by counseling Spark Capital’s selling shareholders on competition, restructuring, and company law issues concerning a potential majority stake sale to South African private equity investors, a deal that was projected at around BWP 700 million.

Before joining Desai Law Group, Mustapha was an Associate in the Corporate & Commercial department at Collins Newman & Co. (January 2015 – June 2016). There, he supported clients with company incorporations, joint ventures, and regulatory compliance, laying the groundwork for his subsequent high‑value transactional practice. This early career experience sharpened his ability to manage both day‑to‑day corporate affairs and more complex restructuring matters, providing him with a well‑rounded perspective on commercial law.

In addition to his law firm responsibilities, Mustapha serves as a Director at Premier Clothing (Pty) Ltd, a diversified retail and manufacturing business based in Gaborone. In this capacity, he applies his legal expertise to the company’s governance, operational strategy, and compliance oversight, further strengthening his commercial acumen. His dual role as both advisor and corporate director offers clients unique insights into the practical challenges businesses face when balancing legal obligations with growth objectives.

Mustapha’s practice encompasses a broad range of corporate law matters, including mergers and acquisitions, corporate structuring and governance, privatizations and public‑private partnerships, capital markets and IPO advisory, debt recovery and restructuring, as well as regulatory compliance and competition law. He has played instrumental roles in several professional highlights: serving as lead advisor on Botswana’s first parastatal privatization and largest IPO (BTC, 2016/17), guiding international lenders on multi‑million‑dollar independent power projects, and acting as lead legal counsel for multi‑jurisdictional M&A transactions valued up to US$ 1 billion.

With his in‑depth legal knowledge, transaction experience, and entrepreneurial insight—further reinforced by his directorship at Premier Clothing—Mustapha delivers commercially astute, results‑driven advice across a wide spectrum of corporate matters. He remains dedicated to helping clients navigate Botswana’s dynamic legal and business environment, enabling them to pursue sustainable growth and long‑term success.