SECTION27
SECTION27 is a Johannesburg-based non-profit public-interest law organisation that uses litigation, advocacy and research to advance South Africans' constitutional rights to healthcare and basic education, serving vulnerable communities, civil-society coalitions and government policy processes at no cost.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersJohannesburg, South Africa
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What SECTION27 does
SECTION27 is a Johannesburg-based non-profit public-interest law organisation founded in 2010 that uses litigation, advocacy, legal literacy, research and community mobilisation to advance socio-economic rights in South Africa, with primary focus on the constitutional rights of access to healthcare (section 27) and basic education (section 29). Its core service offering is free legal support delivered via an in-house Advice Centre, strategic litigation on issues such as school sanitation, textbook delivery, access to medicines, the Life Esidimeni mental healthcare tragedy, copyright reform and abortion access, alongside policy submissions to Parliament and government departments. The organisation maintains a distributed partner model: it does not charge fees for its services but supports itself through section 18A-tax-deductible public donations (PayFast, EFT, SnapScan, Woolworths MyDifference) and foundation/funder grants, with PBO Number 930022549 and NPO Number 055-382. SECTION27 produces a recurring publication stream - the Know Your Constitution Handbook, Basic Education Rights Handbook, and A Practitioner's Guide on Constitutional Remedies (May 2026) - and runs an Abortion in ESA sub-domain portal covering ten East and Southern African countries, signalling scope beyond purely domestic work. Its operational backbone is a small team (11-50 employees) of legal researchers, in-house counsel, heads of the Health Rights and Communications programmes, and an Executive Director (Umunyana Rugege), working in formal alliance with Treatment Action Campaign, Equal Education, Equal Education Law Centre, Legal Resources Centre, Children's Institute, Lawyers for Human Rights, the Budget Justice Coalition and other civil-society coalitions. SECTION27 is not a technology business; it has no app, no public API, no AI/ML surface, no disclosed revenue figures and no parent or subsidiary structure, functioning instead as an advocacy NPO whose outputs are court papers, policy submissions, handbooks, press statements and research reports.
SECTION27 firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SECTION27
- Legal name
- SECTION27
- Website
- https://section27.org.za
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- SECTION27 is a Johannesburg-based non-profit public-interest law organisation that uses litigation, advocacy and research to advance South Africans' constitutional rights to healthcare and basic education, serving vulnerable communities, civil-society coalitions and government policy processes at no cost.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SECTION27 industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Public Interest Legal Services
- NAICS
- Offices of Lawyers (54111), Legal Services (5411), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)
- SIC
- Services-Legal Services (8111)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Rule of Law & Justice Sector Reform (BPADAGAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Public Health Law, Legal Counsel & Regulatory Affairs Offices (HLAJACAJ), Legal Literacy & Public Legal Education (Know Your Rights) (EDAAAFAI), Legal Reference (Statutes, Case Law, Practice Guides) (EDAGAGAB)
Keywords
Where SECTION27 is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Johannesburg
- HQ country
- South Africa
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices1 record
Markets served
SECTION27 business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: SECTION27 operates as a registered Non-Profit Organisation (NPO) and Public Benefit Organisation (PBO) in South Africa. The organization accepts monthly and one-off donations from the public. Donations are tax-deductible under section 18A of the Income Tax Act, with PBO Number 930022549 and NPO Number NPO 055-382.
- Foundation and Funder Grants: SECTION27 receives support from various funders as indicated on their funders page. The organization publishes annual reviews documenting funding sources and financial sustainability.
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
SECTION27 product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SECTION27 is a South African public interest law organisation that uses litigation, advocacy, legal literacy, research, and community mobilisation to advance the right to access healthcare services and the right to basic education as guaranteed in sections 27 and 29 of the Constitution. It provides free legal advice and representation through its Advice Centre, conducts public interest litigation, makes policy submissions to government bodies, and publishes legal literacy handbooks for communities, learners, and practitioners.
Product overview
SECTION27 is a non-profit human rights organisation offering legal advocacy services rather than a technology product. Its core offering consists of legal services including litigation, advocacy, legal literacy, research, and community mobilisation to advance socio-economic rights in South Africa. The organisation provides educational publications including the Know Your Constitution Handbook and Basic Education Rights Handbook as legal literacy tools. SECTION27 also maintains the Abortion in ESA sub-domain portal as a resource on sexual and reproductive health rights across East and Southern Africa.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Human Rights Legal Services Legal advocacy, litigation, legal literacy, research, and community mobilisation to advance socio-economic rights, particularly the right to access healthcare services and basic education in South Africa. Includes free legal advice via the Advice Centre, public interest litigation, and policy submissions to government.
- Know Your Constitution Handbook
Quantifiable outcome
- Successfully litigated to ensure the National School Nutrition Programme is delivered to all eligible learners
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use SECTION27
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
SECTION27 technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
SECTION27 partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- Treatment Action Campaign (TAC)coreLong-standing partnership with the Treatment Action Campaign for joint advocacy on access to medicines, HIV/AIDS treatment, and health rights. The organisations have made joint submissions on health legislation, patent law reform, and health systems strengthening.
- Equal Education Law CentrecoreJoint litigation and advocacy on education rights including school sanitation (Michael Komape case), textbook delivery, and school fee exclusions. Partners in the Budget Justice Coalition.
- Equal EducationcoreCollaboration on education rights campaigns including school sanitation, the National School Nutrition Programme, and the #TextbooksMatter case. Joint litigation on education infrastructure.
- Children's Institute (UCT)corePartnership on child rights, education rights, and health rights. Collaborated on submissions regarding the Children's Amendment Bill and child protection.
- Lawyers for Human RightscoreJoint advocacy on migrant rights, xenophobia, and refugee protection. Collaboration on statements condemning xenophobia and on refugee crisis interventions.
- Budget Justice CoalitioncoreActive membership in the Budget Justice Coalition, making joint submissions on the Division of Revenue Bill, annual budgets, and fiscal framework to advance rights-based fiscal reform.
- Sexual and Reproductive Justice Coalition (SRJC)corePartnership on abortion rights and sexual reproductive health justice. Joint work on telemedicine for abortion services and advocacy on National Clinical Abortion Guidelines.
- Rural Health Advocacy Project (RHAP)majorJoint submissions on human resources for health remuneration and deployment policies. Collaboration on advancing equity and patients' rights in health policy.
- Stop Stockouts ProjectmajorCollaboration on monitoring and reporting medicine stockouts. Joint publication of reports on HIV and contraceptive services following US funding freeze.
- Legal Resources Centre (LRC)coreLong-standing partnership on litigation including joint submissions on the Constitution Nineteenth Amendment Bill and the Central Methodist Church refugee case.
- Eastern Cape Health Crisis Action Coalition (ECHCAC)majorCoalition focused on health crisis in Eastern Cape, making submissions on the Division of Revenue Bill and health budget allocations for the Eastern Cape.
- Centre for Applied Legal Studies (CALS)majorJoint submissions on inclusivity of SOGIESC in schools and other constitutional rights matters.
- Centre for Child Law (CCL)majorJoint submissions on child rights including the Children's Amendment Bill and regulations regarding children.
- BlindSAmajorJoint submission to the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities regarding copyright barriers that prevent access to reading materials for blind and visually impaired individuals in South Africa.
- Kopanang Africa Against XenophobiacoreJoint statement condemning the wave of intimidation and violence targeting migrant persons in parts of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.
- Teddy Bear FoundationmajorJoint submissions on the Children's Act draft amendment regulations regarding children, focusing on child protection.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
SECTION27 competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Legal Resources Centre (LRC): South Africa's largest public interest law clinic, also pursuing constitutional and socio-economic rights litigation across health, education, and housing. SECTION27 and LRC are formal partners and file joint submissions, indicating direct overlap in client base, mandate, and litigation strategy.
- Centre for Applied Legal Studies (CALS): University of the Witwatersrand-based public interest law centre working on constitutional rights, equality, and socio-economic rights. CALS is a current SECTION27 partner and historically housed the AIDS Law Project — making it a direct peer in legal expertise, client base, and South African civil society positioning.
- Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa (SERI): Public interest law and research organisation focused on socio-economic rights, particularly housing, land, and urban inclusion. SERI directly competes with SECTION27 for the same pool of human rights funders and pursues overlapping constitutional litigation strategies in South African courts.
- Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR): Long-standing South African public interest law organisation with a similarly broad human rights mandate spanning migrants, refugees, and constitutional rights. LHR is a SECTION27 coalition partner, indicating overlapping client base and casework on issues such as xenophobia and refugee protection.
- Equal Education Law Centre: Specialised public interest law centre focused on basic education rights and school infrastructure litigation. A direct peer and partner of SECTION27 in cases such as the Michael Komape sanitation matter and the #TextbooksMatter case, sharing the same target beneficiary base of learners.
- Centre for Child Law (CCL): University of Pretoria-based public interest law unit focused on child rights litigation, including access to education and child protection. A formal SECTION27 partner with directly overlapping child rights and education rights mandate.
Emerging players
- Treatment Action Campaign (TAC): Health-focused civil society organisation with a strong advocacy and litigation track record on HIV/AIDS and access to medicines. TAC is a long-standing SECTION27 partner; while more advocacy- and movement-driven than law-firm-like, it shares the same beneficiary base and donor pool.
- ProBono.Org: South African clearinghouse connecting private lawyers with indigent clients. While its service model (private lawyer referrals) differs from SECTION27's in-house litigation, both address access to justice for vulnerable populations and compete for related funder support.
- Children's Institute (UCT): University of Cape Town research and advocacy unit on child rights, including education and child protection. A SECTION27 partner in submissions on the Children's Amendment Bill; while more research-oriented, it shares an overlapping mandate and donor base in the child rights space.
Broad incumbents
- Southern Africa Litigation Centre (SALC): Regional public interest litigation organisation supporting strategic cases across southern Africa on human rights, HIV, and rule of law. Comparable to SECTION27 in legal approach but operates at a broader SADC geographic scope, positioning it as a regional-scale peer.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
SECTION27 social profiles
Digital presenceSECTION27 financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SECTION27 leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
SECTION27 funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SECTION27 M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about SECTION27
What does SECTION27 do?
SECTION27 is a South African public interest law organisation that uses litigation, advocacy, legal literacy, research, and community mobilisation to advance the right to access healthcare services and the right to basic education as guaranteed in sections 27 and 29 of the Constitution. It provides free legal advice and representation through its Advice Centre, conducts public interest litigation, makes policy submissions to government bodies, and publishes legal literacy handbooks for communities, learners, and practitioners.
Is SECTION27 a public or private company?
SECTION27 is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was SECTION27 founded?
SECTION27 was founded in 2010. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is SECTION27 based?
SECTION27 is headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, in the Africa region.
How does SECTION27 make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Donations and Charitable Contributions are the primary driver. The others are foundation and Funder Grants.
Who are SECTION27's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Legal Resources Centre (LRC), Centre for Applied Legal Studies (CALS), Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa (SERI), Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR), Equal Education Law Centre and Centre for Child Law (CCL). Emerging players are Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), ProBono.Org and Children's Institute (UCT). Southern Africa Litigation Centre (SALC) is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does SECTION27 have an API?
No public API is recorded for SECTION27.
What industry is SECTION27 in?
SECTION27's product category is Public Interest Legal Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPADAGAB, Rule of Law & Justice Sector Reform, with a secondary code of HLAJACAJ, Public Health Law, Legal Counsel & Regulatory Affairs Offices. Its NAICS code is 54111 and its SIC code is 8111.