Africa Regional Conference held in Cape Town

Lawyers and accountants from countries from across the region enjoyed a programme of business sessions, networking and social activities.

The aim of the conference was to foster the continued development of business relationships between AGA member firms across the African region. Since 2019, AGA has expanded its presence in Africa to 24 offices in 17 countries.

An update on the alliance’s global strategy and plans for the region was followed by time spent discussing insights at each local member firm and exploring potential cross border business development opportunities. Tanzania lawyer Shehzada Walli (Stallion Attorneys) led an interactive discussion forum on best practices to ensure a more client-centric firm culture, with group comparing successes and failures in relation to use of innovative technology, client communications, adoption of new processes, diversification into new practice areas, and implementation of client feedback.

Representatives from South Africa based legal tech company Legal Interact joined the conference to give an entertaining presentation which shared use cases at law and accounting firms of areas impacted by artificial intelligence, such as legal research and document analysis, contract review, invoice extraction and spend management. Attendees were shown real examples of technology that has the potential to revolutionise the professional services sector including translation tools and chatbots.

Delegates were also delighted to welcome Liaan Kretzschmar, Client Experience Director at Jaguar Landrover South Africa & Sub-Sahara Africa, who talked passionately about how their global business is navigating disruption and change of an unprecedented scale. Motivational speaker, entrepreneur and extreme athlete Ryan Stramrood rounded off the conference in style, sharing his story of ‘Pushing Past Impossible’® and how to develop the right mindset to manage fear of failure so we reach goals that may seem unachievable.

The highlights of a relaxed evening social programme included a trip to Groot Constantia wine estate and dinner at Grand Africa Cafe. An intrepid group of hikers scaled Table Mountain to show support for Utu Kwanza, a non-profit organisation in Tanzania founded by Shehzada Walli, Managing Partner of Tanzania and Zanzibar law member Stallion Attorneys, which advocates for preserving the human dignity of convicted and unconvicted prisoners and the country’s disadvantaged communities.

Giles commented:

“This conference was memorable not only for the breathtaking scenery of Cape Town, but also for the camaraderie on display and the willingness of all delegates to freely share their experiences in running their firms and supporting their clients. Many ideas for future projects emerged during the conference that will deepen connections further – we will be collaborating on these in the coming months. Thank you to all who contributed to an engaging experience.”

AGA is ranked as a Band 1 Law Firm Network by Chambers and Partners and is one of the largest professional services alliances in Africa with law and accounting firm coverage in 17 countries: Algeria, Botswana, Cameroon, Egypt, Kenya, Lesotho, Libya, Malawi, Mauritius, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Further reading:

A perfect alliance across professions – expanding AGA’s footprint in Africa

About Alliott Global Alliance:

Founded in 1979, and with 220 member firms operating out of 300 offices in 95 countries, Alliott Global Alliance is an international alliance of independent law and accounting firms, working across the world Together as One.

Each of our members share a common goal: to learn and share knowledge, resources, and opportunities to make the world smaller and their businesses stronger.

We work with a spirit of generosity and openness — so that together, we can continue to fulfil our ambitions, gain greater experience, and drive mutual success.

Alliott Global Alliance is expanding fast, and the alliance has its sights set firmly on growing its legal and accounting membership to 100 countries. Opportunities are available to independent professional firms in Europe, China, the ASEAN region, Australasia, the Gulf Cooperation Council region, Central and South America and in North America, and regions in Africa. For information about membership, email membership@alliottglobal.com.