
Bwalya Chilufya-Musonda
Partner- Overview
- Experience
- Publications & Insights
Overview
Bwalya is passionate about the work she does. She has a wealth of legal knowledge and experience which she uses to deliver efficient and commercially focused results.
Bwalya specializes in corporate and financial law particularly in the fintech, mining and services (banking and insurance) industries. She has advised clients on a range of local and cross border corporate and commercial transactions, including mergers, acquisitions and disposals and capital market transactions.
On the finance side, she has also advised on syndicated lending, corporate financing, project financing, export credit financing and debt restructuring.
Her pragmatic approach, coupled with experience including acting as State Advocate for the Zambian Ministry of Justice’s Department of Civil Litigation, means that she brings a unique and innovative perspective to her clients. In addition, Bwalya’s unique expertise extends to tax and competition law, including advising clients (whether merging parties or third-party challengers) on merger decisions.
Education
- Post-graduate diploma in Legislative Drafting, The Zambia Institute of Advanced Legal Education.
- Mater of Laws (LLM) in International Business and Trade Law, University of Illinois Chicago School of Law, Chicago, USA.
- Bachelor of Laws (LLB), University of Zambia.
Professional memberships
Bwalya is:
- a member of the International Bar Association.
- a member the Law Association of Zambia.
- an advocate of the Superior Courts of Zambia.
Specialist Services
Relevant Experience
Jurisdictions worked in: Zambia
Languages fluent in: English
Bwalya has advised:
- LafargeHolcim, a French-Swiss multinational company that manufactures building materials, in relation to its disposal of 75% of its shareholding in Lafarge Zambia Plc (Lafarge) to Huaxin (Hainan) Investment Co., Ltd. at an enterprise value of USD 150 million for full ownership of Lafarge;
- Zambian Breweries Plc (Zambrew), a Lusaka Securities Exchange listed company and subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev), in relation to the restructuring of its business by way of a spinoff. Zambrew sought to separate its manufacturing unit from the sales and distribution unit. The spinoff company, Zambian Breweries Distribution Company Limited (ZBDCL), focusing on the sales and distribution (warehousing and logistics), while Zambrew on the core business of production;
- BP Investment Limited (BPIL), in relation to its mandatory offer to the minority shareholders of CEC Africa Investments Limited (CECA), a public company quoted on the Lusaka Securities Exchange, following a substantial acquisition of shares in CECA by BPIL;
- Network International Holdings plc, an enabler of digital commerce across the Middle East and Africa, listed on the London Stock Exchange, in relation to the Zambian law aspects of its acquisition of 100 per cent stake in DPO Group, an online commerce platform operating across 19 African countries, for a total consideration of approximately USD 288 million;
- MTN Group Limited, a South African multinational mobile telecommunications company, operating in many African, European and Asian countries, in relation to the restructuring of aYo Holdings, a 50/50 joint venture between MTN Group and Momentum Metropolitan Strategic Investments Proprietary Limited (MMH), a subsidiary of the listed entity MMI Holdings Limited;
- Absa Bank Zambia Plc, a part of Absa Group Limited an African financial services group, in relation to a ZMW 220 million refinancing facility to Zambeef Products PLC, an integrated cold chain food products and agribusiness company in Zambia. The purpose of the facility was to refinance an existing USD 9,333,710.63 facility that the Borrower obtained from the German Investment and Development Corporation (DEG); and
- Stanbic Bank Zambia Limited, The Standard Bank of South Africa Limited in relation to a revolving facility for an aggregate amount of ZMW 825 million (est. USD 47.2 million) availed to Coca-Cola Beverages Zambia Limited, a subsidiary of Coca-Cola Beverages Africa Proprietary Limited.
Awards
- Chambers and Partners: “Up and Coming” in the General Business Law category in Zambia (2023).
- Fulbright Scholarship Grantee.
“Bwalya Chilufya-Musonda’s strength is that she is quite persuasive in her arguments and has very creative ideas, especially in corporate advisory space.”
“She is technically and commercially astute, and comes with the armour of humility which makes her a joy to work with.”
‘She is experienced, practical, with a good skill set, and very reactive.’ – Chambers and Partners, 2023
‘She is proactive and very knowledgeable.’
‘She is very strong on transactions and very strong on banking and finance.’ – Chambers and Partners, 2022
Publications & Insights
- Zambia: Merger notification threshold increases to ZMW 30 million
- Zambia: Market inquiry on pay television services
- Zambia: New insurance law takes effect
- Zambia: Airtel Money and Farm Depot fined for anti-competitive business practices
- Zambia: 2023 National Budget aims to stimulate economic growth
- Zambia: 2023 National Budget – government seeks to increase uptake of insurance services
- Zambia: 2023 National Budget – government to relook gaming, betting and lotteries industry
- Zambia: 2023 National Budget – government considering green finance mechanisms
- Zambia: 2023 National Budget – Public-private partnerships re-emphasized
- Zambia: 2023 National Budget – government to square PTT legislation reading
- Zambia: 2023 National Budget – manufacturing to stimulate growth and value addition
- Zambia: 2023 National Budget – additional mining tax regime reforms
- Zambia: Distributors of clear beer fined for tying and bundling
- Zambia: Mining Appeals Tribunal established
- Zambia: Regulatory developments on cyber security
- Africa: M&A in Key Jurisdictions – Bowmans report on current trends published
- Zambia: Fiscal incentives to promote manufacturing in economic zones re-introduced
- Zambia: Tourism fiscal relief extended for another year
- Zambia: Deductibility of the mineral royalty re-introduced for corporate income tax assessment purposes
- Zambia: Measures to support the agricultural and agro-processing sectors
- Zambia: Public-private partnerships to fund transport infrastructure
- Zambia: The insurance sector as a source of revenue
- Zambia: 2022 National Budget aims to revitalise the country’s economy
- Zambia: The Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Act, 2021- Key provisions and implications for service providers and private citizens
- Zambia: Competition and Consumer Protection Commission levies maximum penalties for anti-competitive trade practices in the cement industry
- Zambia: Competition and Consumer Protection Commission fines seven companies for cartel conduct
- Amendments to the regulation of transfer pricing
- Introduction of local content-based incentive to promote manufacturing
- Reduction of corporate income tax rate for tourism enterprises