Mike Benetello is the co-head of our Tax practice in our Johannesburg office.

Mike has over 25 years of tax experience. Mike’s wide-ranging experience includes matters in the fields of mining taxation, corporate restructurings, debt and capital restructures, private equity transactions, mergers and acquisitions (due-diligence; deal structuring; post-deal implementation), dispute resolution in tax related matters, procurement of tax rulings, international tax planning and taxation aspects related to business rescue. 

Mike is a registered Charted Accountant (South Africa). He holds an Honors Degree in Accounting as well as a Higher Diploma in Tax Law from the University of Johannesburg (RAU at the time of qualification). Mike is also a past chairperson of the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) National Tax Committee.

Mike is also actively involved in matters relating to tax policy in South Africa. He interacts regularly with the legislator and regulators in this regard and also provides commentary to proposed legislative amendments impacting the tax landscape in South Africa.

Relevant Experience

* includes experience gained prior to joining Bowmans

Mike’s relevant experience includes, inter alia, the following significant matters:

• Advising a major global logistics company on the acquisition of an African based logistics group of companies;
• Advising a major telecommunications company on the acquisition of a South African based information and communications technology group;
• Advising the US parent company of a South African vehicle tracking company on the carve-out of certain non-core assets and the sale of such assets to a third party purchaser;
• Advising a major listed coal mining company on the acquisition of certain offshore assets;
• Advising a company in the hospitality industry on the consolidation of certain properties into a REIT;
• Advising a major mining group on the disposal of its South African assets and the re-domicile of its remaining global operations from South Africa to the United Kingdom;
• Advising a major oil and gas company on the disposal of certain of its offshore subsidiaries;
• Advising a listed mining group on the acquisition of certain mining operations from another listed mining group;
• Advising a major mining house in respect of a dispute that was favorably settled in the Supreme Court of Appeal;
• Advising a major retailer with the restructure of certain of its South African operations;
• Advising a listed South African mining company on the listing of certain operations on the TSX;
• Advising a major listed beverage company on the acquisition of certain brewery operations in Australia;
• Advising a SOE on the restructure of its operations into three distinct operating units;
• Advising a South African listed company on the carve-out and unbundling of certain mining assets to its shareholders;
• Advising a South African listed company on its debt and capital restructure;
• Advising a South African listed company on the unwind of its BEE structure;
• Assisting a major listed gold mining company with obtaining Ministerial approval for the ‘upliftment of ring-fencing provisions’;
• Advising a South African Agricultural Co-op on the acquisition of a similar Co-op and in respect of the post deal consolidation of operations;
• Advising major finance houses in respect of debt securitization transactions.

• South Africa: Limitation on the use of contributed tax capital
• South Africa: Multilateral instrument – instrument of ratification deposited
• Chambers and Partners: The Corporate Tax 2022 Guide: South African Chapter
• South Africa: Beware – Your investment in a South African company could be taxed on repurchase