Otsile Matlou is ENS' Chief Operating Officer. As COO, he ensures the seamless delivery of effective solutions for clients across the continent.

Otsile is also a director in the firm’s natural resources and environment practice. His expertise covers the circle of mining – from exploration, mining and beneficiation to downscaling and closure. His experience ranges from start-up exploration projects to well-established mining projects, and he acts for a wide range of mining companies in all mineral commodity sectors, including the base and precious metals, coal, rare earths, sand and diamonds sectors.

Otsile’s expertise includes advising on mining aspects of equity and asset acquisitions, disposals and corporate restructuring, and black economic empowerment transactions, as well as on distressed mining assets and on royalties in the mining sector. His experience further includes all aspects of regulatory work in the mining and petroleum (upstream) industries, for listed and unlisted senior, mid-tier and junior companies, as well as for financial institutions with regard to resource-finance projects.

Otsile has done mining title and transactional work in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. He has also advised on joint ventures in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zimbabwe and Zambia. In addition, he has advised the Uganda Chamber of Mines in relation to the Ugandan mineral regulatory framework.

Otsile is an instructor for the Black Lawyers Association and is a member of the Energy, Environment, Natural Resources and Infrastructure Law section of the International Bar Association. He is also an instructor at the International Law Institute – African Centre for Legal Excellence, where he has trained senior government negotiators and regulators from various African countries in regard to mining contracts, concessions and disputes.

Otsile is regularly invited to present papers at conferences and seminars in the field of mining law, and he is widely published.

Education

• BA (University of the Witwatersrand)
• LLB (University of the Witwatersrand)
• Higher Diploma in Tax (University of the Witwatersrand)
• Certificate in Advanced Company Law I and II (University of the Witwatersrand)
• Admitted as an attorney of the High Court of South Africa
• Former advocate of the High Court of South Africa

He is also recognised as a leading/recommended lawyer by:

• IFLR1000 Financial and Corporate Guide; Energy and Infrastructure - 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018; Project development - 2023, 2020, 2019 – Expert Consultant (South Africa)
• Chambers Global Guide 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015 – Energy & Natural Resources: Mining (South Africa)
• The Legal 500 EMEA 2021, 2018, 2017 – Regional Summary (Africa); 2023, 2022, 2020, 2019, 2017, 2016, 2015 - Mining “Leading Individual“ (South Africa)
• Who’s Who Legal 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015 – Mining (South Africa)
• Best Lawyers® 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017 – Mining Law; Lawyer of the year - 2021 (South Africa)

• War on Trading Illicit Conflict Minerals

  By Otsile Matlou, ENSafrica Professional |August 2016