LegalWise strives to actively contribute to the social and economic development of South Africa, through the provision of access to justice for all. Guided by the Financial Sector Code of Good Practice on Black Economic Empowerment in terms of Section 9(1) of the B-BBEE Act 53 of 2003, we are committed to the development of people and communities across the country through responsible Corporate Social Investment (CSI) practices.

We believe that in order to facilitate transformation, we need to connect with key stakeholders and establish shared value partnerships that ensure a meaningful impact in community development. All this is achieved with the support of the LegalWise management and staff, as well as our Members, who believe in working together to improve the lives of all South Africans.

Approach 

LegalWise believes in placing communities at the centre of their own development, so that they become the primary producers of their own wellbeing and enjoy access to all human rights. 

We recognise that communities are not passive participants in their development but rather the main driving force if development activities are to be sustainable. Rather than focus on what communities don’t have, we strive to create opportunities for communities to focus on what they do have and mobilise their own gifts and talents, encouraging them to find their own solutions to community challenges.

Our philosophy is:

“Use what you have and build on what you know”.

“Focus on what is strong in communities, not on what is wrong”

Adopting an Asset Based and Community-led Development (ABCD) approach has allowed us to maximise our efforts as we partner with like-minded non-profit community organisations to uncover the real challenges faced by communities as a learning partner to find the most appropriate solutions, thus allowing communities the capacity to act through recognising and mobilising their own strengths and capabilities.