Disputes lawyers across Africa anticipate a surge in litigation work in 2025 due to reforms in the energy and tax sectors, alongside growing environmental and technology-related disputes. South Africa’s restructuring of Eskom and changes to tax laws in Nigeria and Kenya are expected to generate significant legal challenges.

Eskom, the state-owned South African energy company blamed for the country’s incessant power outages, is expected to be reformed on the back of an electricity law passed earlier in 2024. The new law provides for national transmission system operators and breaks Eskom’s monopoly by dividing electricity into three sections: generation, transmission and distribution. The first phase of implementation involves Eskom temporarily assuming transmission functions before an independent operator takes over within five years.