ProBono.org
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersJohannesburg, South Africa
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
ProBono.org firmographics
Firmographics- 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
ProBono.org industry classification
Industry- 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
Where ProBono.org is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Johannesburg
- HQ country
- South Africa
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices3 records
Markets served
ProBono.org business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- 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
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Other | Free legal services for qualifying individuals |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
ProBono.org product offering
Product offeringCore 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
Companies that use ProBono.org
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
ProBono.org technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
ProBono.org partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr AttorneyscoreMajor 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.
- BowmanscoreMajor 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 UniversityminorUS 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 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.
- DeneyscoreLaw 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 FMcoreCommunity 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 786coreCape 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 RightscoreOrganization 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)minorHost 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)coreNetwork 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.
- FAMSAminorFamily advocacy organization that participated in the Khayelitsha Marriage Seminar alongside ProBono.Org and other stakeholders.
- PILnetminorInternational 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
ProBono.org competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect 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
ProBono.org social profiles
Digital presenceProBono.org financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ProBono.org leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
ProBono.org funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ProBono.org 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 ProBono.org
What does ProBono.org do?
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.
Is ProBono.org a public or private company?
ProBono.org is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was ProBono.org founded?
ProBono.org was founded in 2006. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is ProBono.org based?
ProBono.org is headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, in the Africa region.
How does ProBono.org make money?
One revenue line is on record: donor Funding and Grants.
Who are ProBono.org's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Legal Resources Centre (LRC), Black Sash, Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR), Pro Bono Net, Centre for Applied Legal Studies (CALS), LawWorks (UK) and Foundation for Human Rights. Legal Aid South Africa is listed as a broad incumbent. PILnet is listed as an emerging player. Southern African Litigation Centre (SALC) is listed as a regional player.
Does ProBono.org have an API?
No public API is recorded for ProBono.org.
What industry is ProBono.org in?
ProBono.org's product category is Legal Aid Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAFAB, Human Rights & Anti-Discrimination Organizations, with a secondary code of BPAGAFAA, Civil Liberties & Constitutional Rights Advocacy. Its NAICS code is 813311 and its SIC code is 8111.