Vision

To build a leading African research hub in corporate law and corporate governance that advances innovative, socially responsive, and globally relevant scholarship while cultivating the next generation of corporate law scholars and thought leaders.

Mission

• To advance cutting-edge research in corporate law, corporate governance, and corporate sustainability.
• To provide a structured research ecosystem for Master’s and PhD students specialising in company law and governance.
• To integrate teaching, research, and practice, ensuring scholarly output is informed by real corporate and regulatory challenges.
• To contribute to policy and scholarly debates on corporate accountability, ESG, labour stability, restructuring, and inclusive economic development in South Africa and the Global South.

Research Focus Areas

The CLCGU’s research agenda is forward-looking, doctrinally grounded, and responsive to contemporary corporate challenges. Core research themes include:

• Company law and corporate governance theory
• Corporate finance and capital maintenance
• Fundamental transactions and shareholder protection
• Business rescue and corporate restructuring
• ESG regulation and sustainability governance
• Internal corporate social responsibility (CSR)
• Labour, stakeholder participation, and board accountability
• Shareholder remedies and minority protection
• Multinational enterprises and corporate accountability
• Business ethics, compliance, and anti-corruption
• Corporate governance and the just energy transition

Undergraduate Courses

• CML3001W – Corporation Law
  A core undergraduate course examining advanced company law principles, corporate personality, director duties, shareholder protection, corporate finance fundamentals, and fundamental transactions.
• CML2001F – Company Law
  A service course introducing the foundational principles of company law, including corporate formation, governance structures, director accountability, shareholder rights, and regulatory compliance.

Postgraduate Coursework (LLM / MPhil)

• CML5601F – Advanced Company Law
  An in-depth exploration of contemporary company law issues, focusing on doctrinal development, statutory interpretation, and emerging governance challenges.
• CML5692F – Company Law, Corporate Governance and Stakeholder Relations
  A specialised course examining corporate governance frameworks, stakeholder theory, labour–corporate law intersections, ESG regulation, and the role of internal governance mechanisms in promoting accountability.
• CML5667S – Corporate Law and Governance
  A seminar-based course focusing on advanced governance theory, board accountability, shareholder activism, regulatory reform, and comparative corporate governance.
• CML5672S – Legal Aspects of Corporate Financing Structures
  A course examining corporate finance from a legal perspective, including capital structures, financing instruments, solvency and liquidity requirements, creditor protection, and financial regulation.

Specialised and Elective Courses

• Current Developments in Company Law
  A focused course addressing recent amendments to the Companies Act, significant case law developments, and emerging corporate law themes designed to bridge doctrinal gaps and strengthen analytical depth.
• CML4602S – Competition Law
  A seminar elective examining competition law principles and their interaction with corporate governance, market regulation, and economic policy.

Integration with Research and Supervision

These courses form an integrated academic pathway that feeds directly into the Unit’s LLM and PhD research supervision in areas including:

• Corporate governance reform
• Corporate finance and capital maintenance
• Fundamental transactions and shareholder remedies
• Business rescue and corporate restructuring
• ESG regulation and sustainability governance
• Stakeholder relations and labour stability

The CLCGU provides supervision and mentorship for LLM and PhD candidates whose research engages with:

• Corporate governance reform and regulatory design
• ESG, sustainability, and stakeholder governance
• Corporate finance, solvency, and creditor protection
• Fundamental transactions and minority shareholder remedies
• Business rescue, restructuring, and corporate failure
• Labour stability and internal corporate governance mechanisms

Students are supported through structured supervision, research workshops, writing retreats, and presentation forums.

The Unit hosts an annual Postgraduate Research Forum, where Master’s and PhD students present work-in-progress in a supportive, intellectually rigorous environment. The forum is designed to:

• Build scholarly confidence and academic voice
• Strengthen doctrinal argumentation and methodology
• Prepare students for national and international conferences
• Foster inter-university collaboration and scholarly community

The CLCGU actively engages with legal practitioners, regulators, industry experts, and international scholars. The Unit welcomes collaborative projects relating to:

• Corporate governance reform
• ESG and sustainability regulation
• Business rescue and restructuring practice
• Corporate finance and shareholder protection
• Anti-corruption and compliance frameworks