About Us - The Paternoster Group

What We Do

South Africa demands a distinctive kind of political and strategic insight – one grounded in local understanding, regional perspective and the ability to distinguish signal from noise. For more than a decade, Paternoster Group has advised leading South African corporates and investors operating across South Africa, helping them navigate political complexity, anticipate change and make game-changing decisions.

Our strength lies in combining deep networks with independent thinking. We are well connected across political, policy and business environments, giving our clients access to informed perspectives and real-world context. In an environment where politics increasingly shapes markets, regulation and investment outcomes, Paternoster Group provides the insight, judgment and strategic clarity that enable organisations to move forward with confidence.

FOUNDING PARTNERS

Our founding partners Richard Calland and Lawson Naidoo, offer a unique blend of complementary skills and experience.

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RICHARD CALLAND

Richard Calland is one of the most prominent and highly regarded political analysts in the country. He is also Director of the Africa Programme at the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL). He previously spent 16 years as a Professor of Public Law at the University of Cape Town. He has over 30 years of experience in the fields of governance and sustainable development in Africa and beyond. Calland has founded a number of successful civil society organisations that focus on political accountability and democracy-building initiatives, and advised an array of multinational corporations, governments and supranational bodies on issues of public law, governance and political risk.

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LAWSON NAIDOO

Lawson Naidoo is the Executive Secretary of the influential civil society organisation CASAC and is a regular media commentator on political, constitutional and legal issues. He was previously Special Advisor to democratic South Africa’s first Speaker of Parliament, Dr. Frene Ginwala. Lawson has remained a prominent and key figure in South Africa’s fight against corrupt leadership and has also held several senior directorships among prominent organisations in the country.

SENIOR ASSOCIATES

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MIKE LAW

Mike Law is a governance and political consultant. With a master’s degree in administrative law from the University of Cape Town, he has been senior associate at the Paternoster Group since 2019. He has additionally consulted on governance and political matters to various international and domestic organisations, in both the public and private sectors, and served as a special advisor to several political leaders and political parties.

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Contact me for more info regarding our Political Briefings.

DYLAN STEWART

Dylan Stewart is an economic and political researcher with a Masters Degree in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from the University of Pretoria and a degree in Export Management and Entrepreneurship from MIB Business school in Trieste, Italy.
His expertise comes in the space of international trade, geopolitics, and South African political economy. He has worked as a journalist covering South African economy and conducted numerous market research projects and company expansion initiatives in South Africa.