Woolworths is one of the largest retail stores in South Africa with annual earnings of over $4bn and operations across 11 countries in the sub-Saharan region. Since her appointment as head of legal for the company in 2013, Mateboho Rantofi has been responsible for all legal matters within these countries.

One of her first tasks was being the legal lead on Woolworths’ buy-back of its previously franchised stores in four African countries which contributed a combined annual turnover of R1.1bn. Over the next few years she further consolidated her status as an expert on cross-border M&A transactions when she was the legal lead on Woolworths’ most important deals such as its 2014 acquisitions of Australian department store David Jones for AUD $2.2bn and the remaining 12% stake of shares it did not already own in Australian retailer Country Road for AUD $213m.

Two years later, Rantofi was legal lead for the company’s acquisition of another Australian retailer, Politix, for AUD $60m. Spearheading a legal department of 10 staff, she has been commended for her excellent management of the team by developing a legal strategy whilst promoting efficiencies by implementing new technologies. Before excelling at Woolworths, Rantofi was at financial services group MMI Holdings for over three years being promoted to head of group legal after just over two years there. Her first in-house legal job was a legal adviser in South African Revenue Service (SARS) between 2006 and 2009.

She obtained her Bachelor of Laws in 2003 from the National University of Lesotho and has post graduate degrees and diplomas in commercial and tax law from the University of Cape Town.