ProBono.org

Name

ProBono.org

Legal name

ProBono.Org

Website

https://probono.org.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Aid Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Human Rights & Anti-Discrimination Organizations (BPAGAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Civil Liberties & Constitutional Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAA), International & Local Implementing NGOs (HLAJAKAD)

Keywords

• Pro bono legal services
• Legal aid referrals
• Access to justice
• Legal mediation services
• Nonprofit legal clinics

Headquarters

HQ city

Johannesburg

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donor Funding and Grants: ProBono.Org is a registered NGO that operates primarily through donor funding, grants, and partnerships. The organization receives support from foundations including HCI Foundation, Misereor, and the Raith Foundation for various programs and projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

ProBono.Org is a South African NGO that operates a legal clearinghouse, screening, matching, and referring indigent clients to volunteer private lawyers who provide free pro bono legal representation. It also delivers mediation, community legal education workshops, and help-desk services at courts and Master's Offices through offices in Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban.

Product overview

ProBono.Org is a South African NGO that operates as a legal clearinghouse connecting low-income individuals who cannot afford private legal representation with volunteer private lawyers providing pro bono services. The organisation's core offering is a suite of coordinated legal access services including help desks staffed by legal professionals, client screening and referral to volunteer attorneys, mediation services, and community legal education programmes. Key programmes include the One Child A Year (OCAY) children's rights initiative, the Yakha Isizwe SMME business help desk, a Refugee Manual for legal practitioners, and radio media partnerships including Legal Lifeline on 919 FM and Radio 786. The organisation also maintains extensive legal resources including fact sheets, legislation guides, case law, and publications covering family law, deceased estates, housing, labour, consumer law, and refugee matters. Services are delivered through offices in Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban, with support from over 400 registered law firms providing up to R30 million worth of pro bono work annually.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pro Bono Legal Representation Referral Service

Quantifiable outcome

• Assisted over 6,000 clients in 2025
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr AttorneyscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor law firm that has produced the comprehensive Refugee Manual for ProBono.Org, updated and launched in September 2023. The firm provides ongoing pro bono support and hosts events for the organization. They are among the seven largest firms registered with ProBono.Org.
• BowmanscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor law firm that has hosted the Johannesburg annual Pro Bono Award Ceremonies multiple times (including 2023 and 2024). They have a dedicated Pro Bono Department and represent the organization at key events.
• Ohio UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUS university that runs a study abroad program 'Law, Justice & Transition to Democracy in South Africa' in partnership with ProBono.Org. Students spend time volunteering at the organization, and ProBono.Org's National Director serves as Robert Glidden Visiting Professor at the university.
• Empire Partner FoundationcoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner that developed a digital case management system for ProBono.Org. This system is being rolled out to Community Advice Offices to improve case recording and operational efficiency.
• DeneyscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaw firm that partnered with ProBono.Org Durban for the combined Freedom Day and Attorney Appreciation Day event in April 2026, celebrating 20 years of ProBono.Org's community service.
• 919 FMcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity radio station based in Sandton, Johannesburg producing the 'Legal Lifeline' show in partnership with ProBono.Org. The show helps listeners understand their legal rights and navigate everyday challenges.
• Radio 786coreGTM or Marketing PartnerCape Town radio station with which ProBono.Org collaborates on a bi-monthly Legal Hour, discussing topics including maintenance, marital regimes, and deceased estates.
• Foundation for Human RightscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization through which Ahmed Mayet brings extensive experience with the Community Advice Office sector to coordinate the CAO Support Project.
• Initiative for Strategic Litigation in Africa (ISLA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost of the Women in Immigration Detention Mini Institute for migrant lawyers. ProBono.Org Durban attended this two-day conference in May 2026.
• Various Community Advice Offices (CAOs)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork of 6+ CAOs in Gauteng (Kagiso, Kempton Park/Tembisa, Orange Farm, Alberton, Mabopane, Dobsonville) and 4+ in KwaZulu-Natal (Clermont, Inchanga, Ntuzuma, Inanda) serving as community-based access points for legal services.
• FAMSAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFamily advocacy organization that participated in the Khayelitsha Marriage Seminar alongside ProBono.Org and other stakeholders.
• PILnetminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational organization hosting the PILnet Global Forum in Cape Town in November 2026 - the first time on the African continent - bringing together lawyers, bar associations, civil society organizations, and academics from around the world.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Legal Resources Centre (LRC): South Africa's largest public interest law firm, providing free legal services to marginalized communities across multiple provinces. Directly comparable to ProBono.Org in mission and target population, with overlapping practice areas in housing, family law, and refugee rights. The LRC is the most established direct competitor in the South African access-to-justice space.
• Black Sash: South African human rights organization with a long history of social welfare and access-to-justice work, particularly for vulnerable women and children. Operates advice offices in multiple provinces with overlapping client base and practice areas (social grants, family law, deceased estates). Comparable non-profit peer with similar funding model.
• Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR): South African NGO providing free legal services to indigent refugees, migrants, and rural communities. Operates a similar clearinghouse-style model with private lawyer volunteers and has offices in multiple provinces. Direct overlap with ProBono.Org in refugee law and indigent client work.
• Pro Bono Net: US-based nonprofit that runs online platforms connecting low-income clients with volunteer lawyers. Closely comparable business model (technology-enabled pro bono clearinghouse), providing international peer benchmarking for ProBono.Org's digital case management strategy.
• Centre for Applied Legal Studies (CALS): University of the Witwatersrand-based public interest law centre conducting strategic litigation and advocacy. ProBono.Org's National Director Mohamed Shafie Ameermia previously worked at CALS, indicating close organizational ties. Both operate in constitutional rights, access to justice, and human rights law.
• LawWorks (UK): UK charity that connects volunteer lawyers with people in need of free legal advice. Operates a similar clearinghouse model linking 400+ law firms and individual practitioners to NGOs and individuals, providing a comparable international reference point for ProBono.Org's model.
• Foundation for Human Rights: South African NGO funding and supporting human rights work including the Community Advice Office sector with which ProBono.Org partners. Direct peer in the human rights funding and capacity-building ecosystem, with overlapping CAO support networks in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.

Broad incumbents

• Legal Aid South Africa: State-funded statutory body providing legal aid across South Africa. Operates at significantly larger scale with government funding, providing direct representation rather than referral. Functions as a broad incumbent in the access-to-justice space; some ProBono.Org clients may be eligible for Legal Aid instead.

Emerging players

• PILnet: International NGO that supports pro bono legal services globally and is hosting its Global Forum in Cape Town in November 2026 (in partnership with ProBono.Org). Provides infrastructure, training, and clearinghouse support for pro bono globally — a thematic peer operating one level above individual national clearinghouses.

Regional players

• Southern African Litigation Centre (SALC): Regional NGO supporting strategic human rights and rule of law litigation across Southern Africa. Compares to ProBono.Org in mission and human rights focus, but operates at regional (SADC) level rather than national, and focuses on strategic litigation rather than direct service delivery.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Probono_Org
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCYta0uOta8E9tuKJNFt2A1g
• Facebookfacebook.com/ProBono.Org
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/probono-org
• Instagraminstagram.com/probono.org.za

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ProBono.org