Majoko turned family tragedy into inspiration
Lawgistics offers cheap solution to legal woes
With both parents practicing as attorneys Tiyani Majoko’s career choice in law seemed inevitable, but her drive for justice was ignited after she lost her mother and two brothers at the hands of her uncle at the age of 13.
“My mom and my dad started Majoko Majoko attorneys in 1998. Their first office was in Botswana then they expanded to Zimbabwe. My brothers were five and seven years old when they died. They were shot by my uncle, who was later hanged.
“I feel like after that ordeal I can recover from anything. It has given me a greater responsibility to be successful,” she said of the family tragedy.
The LLB graduate from the University of Pretoria describes herself as a non-practicing admitted attorney.
“I do legal work apart from litigation. Non-practicing admitted attorneys typically do not have court standing,” said Majoko.
Frustrated by the way many law firms are run, Majoko was inspired to start Lawgistics. Her co-partners include Vonani Majoko, Thokozani Dlongolo and Mpumelelo Ngcobo.
“We found that companies were being stuck at the legal space with costs [mounting] and time [lost] while this is not their core business. [Lawgistics] aims to get you out [of] there quickly and affordably so that you are not stuck at the legal part,” she said.
“We have a panel of eight to nine lawyers and a very lean model so we do not pay the high overheads. All you need to work is a laptop and internet connection. We charge about 50% less than the big firms.”
Majoko said they draft contacts and letters of demand, but when litigation is required they request the services of their practicing attorneys.
She is also a Mandela Washington Fellow of 2017, a programme that provides outstanding young leaders from sub-Saharan Africa with the opportunity to hone their skills at a US college or university.