Siphokazi Kayana

Practice Areas

Dispute resolution

Public Procurement

Career

- Siphokazi is the Head of Dispute Resolution with over 15 years of experience.

- She assists clients with the full remit of dispute resolution and litigation services, with a focus on arbitration, commercial litigation and constitutional and administrative law reviews. Siphokazi has honed these litigation skills across a range of industries, namely telecommunications, mining and commodities, construction and engineering, international trade and investment.

- She regularly assists clients with her commercially acute approach in resolving litigious situations. Her clients include private and public companies, state-owned entities, mining houses, financial institutions, construction and engineering firms, pharmaceutical organisations, telecommunications companies and consumer products.

- Before joining CMS as Head of Dispute Resolution, Siphokazi gained her experience and skills from working at a top tier national law firm for close to a decade, and then founding her own firm. She was also the Head of the Africa Region for Teach for All, a global network of independent, locally led and funded partner organizations whose stated shared mission is to expand educational opportunity around the world by increasing and accelerating the impact of social enterprises that are cultivating the leadership necessary for change

Professional Memberships

Member of the Legal Practice Council, Gauteng Office

Advancing Women in the Workforce (AWW) Circle of Mentors

Publications

- Global uncertainty and South Africa’s role in international dispute resolution | African Law & Business | 24 September 2025

- Law & Technology: the future of commissioning in South Africa | Law-Now | 27 February 2025

Awards

Education

Languages Spoken

English

IsiZulu

IsiXhosa

Experience

- A South African-based financial services group – assisting on numerous disputes matters, some of these matters relate to several high value Banking Facilities Agreements that our client entered into with several businesses.

- A development finance institution – acting for the client in a host of litigation matters and assisting client in the disputes and in reaching settlement.

- An Intelligent Transportation Systems company – advising on action proceedings against the Government of South Africa relating for the recovery of between R400 million - R700 million for services that our client provided to the government.

- A national development finance institution – assisting with a number of litigations matters with a view to settling these matters expeditiously on behalf of our client.