Bowman Gilfillan Inc. (Bowmans)

Bowmans, known in South Africa for many years as Bowman Gilfillan, is one of Africa’s leading corporate law firms. Bowmans has its headquarters in Johannesburg, further South African offices in Cape Town and Durban, and offices in Kenya, Mauritius, Namibia, Tanzania and Zambia.

Registered name

Bowman Gilfillan Inc. (Bowmans)

Type

Law firm (corporate and commercial law)

Fields funded

Law (LLB)

Website

bowmanslaw.com

About this page’s sources

Bowmans’ website blocked BursariesAfrica’s research tools on 15 September 2026. The information here comes from a provider record checked in August 2026 and from BursariesAfrica’s research into the Bowmans 2027 bursary. Readers can open bowmanslaw.com in a normal browser to confirm details.

A firm built for cross-border work

Bowmans employs more than 650 specialist lawyers, according to the provider record, and advises domestic and multinational companies, financial institutions and governments. A network of offices across East and Southern Africa means Bowmans handles deals and disputes that cross borders, which gives candidate attorneys exposure to work beyond South African law.

The 2027 Bowmans bursary

The Bowmans bursary for 2027 is open and closes on 30 September 2026. Bowmans accepts applications online only, through the Leap platform, so applicants must create a profile on Leap and complete the application there rather than emailing documents.

Law firm bursaries usually link funding to articles, the period of practical training a law graduate completes before admission as an attorney, so applicants should expect Bowmans to consider bursars for its candidate attorney programme.

Researching Bowmans before applying

Read Bowmans’ practice area pages, such as corporate law, banking and finance, competition law, dispute resolution or employment law, and identify one or two areas that interest you. Commercial law firms look for students who can explain why corporate work appeals to them, not only students with high marks.

Attend a law firm presentation or vacation programme if your university offers one, and ask Bowmans’ graduate recruitment team how the bursary relates to articles, which offices take candidate attorneys and whether bursars can gain experience in the firm’s African offices.

Prepare your Leap profile well before the deadline. Online application platforms often ask for a CV, academic transcripts and written answers, which take longer than students expect.

Bowmans’ African offices also mean some matters involve regional law, arbitration and investment treaties, which students interested in international work can mention when explaining their interest in the firm.

Law students can compare Bowmans with other funders on our Law Bursaries page.