Sternford Moyo

Practice Areas

The Chairman and Senior Partner of Scanlen & Holderness, provided professional and corporate leadership in financial services, where he chaired one of the largest financial institutions in Zimbabwe for over a decade, manufacturing, where he has chaired a large bottling company bottling under licence from Coca-cola company for ten years, mining, where he directed one of the largest mining companies for over eleven years & has acted for most of the largest mining companies in the country, media, where he has directed the largest independent media company for over a decade, leadership development, where he directed a leadership academy for a period of four years, infrastructure development, where he has been involved in infrastructure projects and advised on more projects than most lawyers in this jurisdiction, acquisitions, mergers & demergers, where he has advised on several transactions. One of the leading mining, corporate and commercial lawyer in Southern Africa. A highly networked lawyer nationally, regionally and internationally. The current President of the International Bar Association. He is the first lawyer of African origin to lead that association in its 74 year history. He has, led the legal profession at domestic and regional levels. He has a prodigious capacity for work.

Work Highlights

His experience spans across on all financial documentation and project contracts to protect the guarantee company. He actively advised on the following projects:

1. Sale cession and transfer of mining claims. The sale and transfer were from one mining conglomerate to another Zimbabwean mining conglomerate.

2. Tax advice in the light of the requirement to pay tax in foreign currency and advice on the impact of an exemption on the impact and rights arising from a tax exemption given to a new mining company owned and operated by a foreign investor. The advice was sought by a local mining company

3. Advice on property development and environmental law matters arising therefrom. The advice was sought by a leading property development company based in Harare.

4. Advice on the film regulatory environment obtaining in Zimbabwe. The advice was sought by an international law firm on behalf of a leading international film distributor.

5. Advice on disinvestment from a joint venture company. Advice on creation of a new company including the registration of the company. Advice on obtaining new licences including the Zimbabwe Investment Development Agency licence for the new company and the exchange control authorisation for ownership of Zimbabwean registered securities by a foreign resident. All was sought by one of the largest South African law firms.

6. Advice on corporate governance matters particularly the handling of a conflict of interest arising from a joint venture and the employment of a competitor as an operations director. The advice was sought by a large corporate with operating subsidiaries in Zimbabwe.

7. Competition Commission filing and advice relating to matter arising therefrom. The filing was done by us as a correspondent for one of the largest South African law firms.

8. Advice relating to a private placement including preparation of relevant opinions. The placement was to raise money for a large mining project relating to a purchase in 2021 of mining claims worth in excess of US$400 million.

9. Advice relating to cyber security particularly as it relates to Ransomware laws in Zimbabwe. The advice was sought by a large international law firm.

10. Currently defending a local regulator of the profession whose self-regulation has been challenged in a constitution application filed by a member.

11. Tax advice with particular emphasis on payment of royalties. The advice was sought by one of the large platinum mining companies in Zimbabwe.

12. Tax advice relating to payment corporate tax in foreign currency. The advice was sought by one of the large platinum mining companies in Zimbabwe.

13. Advice relating to general corporate compliance. The advice was sought by one of the largest mining companies in Zimbabwe.

14. Mimosa Mining Company – Advice relating to MMCZ exemptions arising from the Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe being under sanctions yet it is the sole buyer and exporter of minerals produced in Zimbabwe other than gold.

15. Advice and preparation of a mining development agreement with emphasis on leveraging incentives given by the Government of Zimbabwe on new projects. The advice was sought by one of the largest mining companies in Zimbabwe.

16. Advice on independent power producer agreement including sale of power agreement. The advice was sought by the largest Cement producer in Zimbabwe.

17. Advice relating to securities in Zimbabwe in a matter involving borrowing of large sums of money for mine development. The advice was sought by an English law firm.

18. General compliance issues relating to new foreign investment. The advice was sought by the largest granite mining company in Zimbabwe.

19. Intragroup support services agreement with emphasis on compliance with Zimbabwean transfer pricing regulations. The advice was sought by a large agricultural conglomerate with subsidiaries operating in Zimbabwe.

20. Advice relating to royalty and tax payment. The advice was sought by one of the largest mining companies in Zimbabwe.

21. Advice relating to restructuring of a foreign company with some companies in Zimbabwe. The advice was sought by an international firm through its Johannesburg based branch.

22. Advice relating to decarbonisation and the energy regulatory regime in Zimbabwe. The advice was sought by an international law firm through its Johannesburg based branch.

23. Due diligence on mining claims. The work was done on behalf of one of the largest gold mining companies as a prelude to an M&A transaction.

24. Advice on insurance regulatory regime in Zimbabwe. The advice was sought on behalf of an English law firm through its East African branch.

25. Advice relating to termination of a Chief Executive Officer’s contract including gratuities payable. The advice was sought by the largest Deposit Insurance Company in Zimbabwe.

26. Advice relating to the legal effect of attempts to control the terms and conditions of senior employees of State entities in the light of pre-existing agreements. The advice was sought by the largest Deposit Insurance Company in Zimbabwe.

27. Advice relating to establishment of a resources company in Zimbabwe. The advice was given to a large international mining company which recently established an investment in Zimbabwe.

28. Pre-listing due diligence. Work on this is just about to begin.

29. Advice relating to the rights and obligations of mining companies and land owners who own the land on which mining claims exist. The advice is being given to a large mining conglomerate which recently established an investment in Zimbabwe.

30. Advice on exchange control regulations particularly in so far as they affect exporters. The advice was given to one of the largest mining companies in Zimbabwe.

31. Advice relating to intercompany foreign exchange transactions. The advice was given to a large plantation conglomerate.

32. Sale of shares advice. The advice is being given to one of the largest South African law firms.

33. Two listing assignment on the Victoria Falls Stock Exchange in which we have been appointed the legal adviser are at prospectus preparation and we are giving advice to a third company on the benefits of such listing.

Professional Memberships

• Past President of the International Bar Association-2021/2022

• Law Society of Zimbabwe.