The firm has acted for a local farming sector lender to expand domestic agricultural capacity.
Fedgroup Smart Agri Fund has expanded its financing arrangements to Forward Finance Propriety Limited, with the farming sector lender expanding an existing structured finance facility to the company. An additional new senior facility has also been provided to agricultural financial technology company Forward Finance with the backing of a different senior funder.
Altogether, the financial arrangements amount to ZAR 1 billion (USD 60.7 million). The deal was announced by South African law firm Deneys (formerly Norton Rose Fulbright South Africa) last week. The team was led by banking and finance director Izak Lessing with the support of associate Tiyana Ramchunder.
Lessing also led the firm in its counsel to Fedgroup Smart Agri Fund on a ZAR 400 million (USD 24 million) revolving credit facility extended to Forward Finance Institutional in 2025.
Deneys broke with Norton Rose Fulbright in March this year after 15 years of partnership, with its three offices and 120 lawyers deciding to rebrand with a throwback to its former name of Deneys Reitz.
The ZAR 1 billion deal is set to equip Forward Finance with additional capacity to support the South African agricultural sector and bring an institutional fixed-income supervisor onto its lender bench.
Fedgroup Smart Agri Fund has worked with South African farmers since 1990 and handles financing solutions for local farmers, marketers, processers and growers across the national supply chain.
