Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) has hired two partners from Linklaters’ South African ally Webber Wentzel to launch an office in Johannesburg.

Finance lawyer Brigette Baillie and mining specialist Peter Leon will spearhead the new initiative with Leon joining as co-chair of the Africa practice. Leon will work alongside Paris-based Africa group co-head Stéphane Brabant.

They will be joined by Moscow banking and finance head Ed Baring, Paris energy and infrastructure head Bertrand Montembault and English and French qualified senior associate Yann Alix.

HSF said it was aiming to develop a pan-African offering from Johannesburg covering both anglophone and francophone Africa.

Joint CEO Mark Rigotti said in a statement: “Africa is a core feature of our global strategy. With clients from across our international network looking at the tremendous growth opportunities, the opening of an office in Johannesburg is an important step in how we provide a pan-African offering.”

The firm joins a growing number of international firms with a base on the ground in South Africa. Earlier this year DLA Piper ended its alliance with South African firm Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr in favour of setting up its own office in Johannesburg. The firm has already hired Cliffe Dekker chief operating officer Michael Whitaker to lead the development of the South Africa office, which is expected to open in the first quarter of 2016.

However unlike HSF, DLA Piper has chosen to target francophone Africa from Morocco with the announcement last week of a launch in Casablanca.

Meanwhile Dentons opened in Johannesburg in February, Chadbourne & Parke also launched in South Africa this year and last year Allen & Overy became the first magic circle firm to open in Johannesburg with a team hire from Bowman Gilfillan.

Webber Wentzel has seen a number of departures in the course of 2015 with Leon becoming the fifteenth partner to quit the firm. Linklaters and Webber Wentzel signed an alliance agreement in late 2012.