Curiosity and getting ever closer to the business (GC Forum GRC Briefs)

One of the very strong takeaways from a superb day in Johannesburg last month at the second-ever GC Forum Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) was the evolving role of General Counsel and their in-house teams; shifting from legal advisors within a business to Risk Architects who shape resilient organisations, enable confident decision-making, and guide leadership through periods of disruption and crisis.

Described by attendees as a day of “sharing experiences, learning, and building stronger connections across Africa”, the GC Forum GRC 2026 was a remarkable day of expert panels, interactive sessions, knowledge sharing, and practical solutions to modern challenges addressing “Legal Leadership in an Unpredictable World”.

It moved the conversation from understanding risk to leading through it.

During a break in the onstage action, we spoke offstage with one of the day’s speakers, Masechaba Makgolane, Head of Legal at Thungela Resources, who moved in-house more than a decade ago after beginning her legal career with Deneys, and also practising at Webber Wentzel in Johannesburg, and for leading international law firm Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP in New York. 

Earlier, Masechaba had participated in a fascinating and insightful onstage panel “Regulation in Motion”, exploring what it takes to operate, invest and grow across Africa as regulation, government priorities, and geopolitical circumstances continue to shift. Chaired by Doreen Onwong’a, a partner at G&A Advocates LLP, Masechaba was joined by fellow in-house leaders Susan Batuuka Kaggwa of Uganda Airlines; Mpho Mgwebi of MTN Group Fintech, and Temosho Sekgobela of Takealot.,

What have you most enjoyed about this year’s GC Forum GRC? 

I've really enjoyed the connections with my peers. It can sometimes feel like the office of the General Counsel is a bit isolating, and when you can connect with peers, and when you realise that many of us are grappling with the same issues, it really gives you confidence around problem solving for your own organisation.

How valuable is it to have a wide range of people in the room - not just in-house counsel but leaders from private practice, risk management, and more - to network, explore, and collaborate together to try to address some of the risks and challenges we’re all facing in a fast-changing world?

I think it's very important. I joke and I say that my title isn't Head of Legal or General Counsel; it's Problem Solver. And when you're a problem solver, a lot of the issues that are brought to you are outside your area of expertise. So when you get to be in a forum like today's GC Forum GRC, where there are a number of specialists in the room, it's such a valuable connection point because at some point you're going to require their expertise because a lot of what you're asked by the business really does extend far beyond legal. You might not have the answer, but they trust you as the person who's going to help them find the answer.

Today’s panels have discussed the evolving role of General Counsel from legal expert within a business (an ambulance at the bottom of the cliff) to now having a more proactive business strategist sort of role. What’s been your experience, Masechaba, as a Head of Legal, and where do you see the role going in future?

So I completely agree with that characterisation of the office as it is now, and I found that in my role, the closer I get to the business, the more I understand the business, and, the better the quality of my advice. I think this is really just going to continue in this vein, and as things start to move faster, it'll be really important that we're close to the business and that these relationships are entrenched already.

Would you have any advice for younger African lawyers who are making the transition from private practice to in-house counsel, or may wish to in future?

I would say that the most important thing for you to understand is that as an in-house counsel, you're no longer a specialist. You're a generalist, and you are not going to know the answer a lot of the time. 

But that's not something that should scare you. If you approach the role with a high level of curiosity, it'll take you a long way.

Anything else you'd like to share with us today, Masechaba, about yourself, your organisation, or the GC Forum?

I've loved the GC Forum, and I really hope that it continues and grows from strength to strength. A number of my peers that I've spoken to today have reiterated this idea that we love that there's a forum like this that brings us together. It's so valuable.