Paula Phukuje, a Senior Associate at Fairbridges Attorneys.
As Women’s Month draws to a close, the growing influence of women in South Africa’s legal profession is coming into sharper focus, with women increasingly taking up leadership positions, challenging longstanding barriers and helping shape the future of the fraternity.
Their rise reflects a profession that is changing, but where questions of representation, access, leadership and meaningful opportunities remain central.
Four women working across different areas of the legal sector share what has shaped their careers, the challenges they have encountered and their vision for a profession where the next generation can do more than simply find a seat at the table, but help shape it.
Paula Phukuje, a Senior Associate at Fairbridges Attorneys, believes that purpose begins with people.
“For me, serving South Africa through the legal profession means recognising that law is ultimately about people. Legislation, regulations, contracts and judgments can appear technical, but behind every legal issue there is usually a person, a family, a business, a livelihood or an institution whose future may be affected by the outcome.”
Her work in employment and labour law has brought that reality into sharp focus. Behind every dispute, she says, is a person whose dignity, livelihood or sense of security may be affected.
“What continues to sustain my passion is knowing that the law can be both a protective mechanism and an instrument for positive change.”
An Advocate of the High Court and member of the Pan African Bar Association of South Africa, Adv. Bongiwe Khumalo-Tshokwe believes justice begins with seeing the human being behind the case.
“Behind every case number is a person, a family, a livelihood or an institution that has placed its trust in the justice system.”
A case involving a widow fighting to have her rights recognised following her husband’s death reinforced that belief.
“We do not practise ‘empty law’; we assist real people, facing real problems, at moments when the law may be one of the few things capable of protecting them,” Khumalo-Tshokwe says.
Her journey has also taught her that women do not need to change themselves to succeed.
“I do not believe women need to become harder versions of men in order to succeed in law; we should be able to be formidable while remaining authentically ourselves.”
Establishing her own firm became a defining moment in Dineo Modise’s career, shifting her from simply navigating the profession to recognising her ability to shape it.
“Establishing my practice challenged me to trust my own abilities, judgment and experience. It was the point at which I stopped seeing myself only as someone navigating the profession and began seeing myself as someone who could contribute to shaping it.”
“Women do not need to diminish themselves in order to occupy space. We have earned our place in the profession, and we must continue to use our voices with confidence, competence and integrity.”
Mindful of those who came before her, Modise believes success carries a responsibility.
“Every woman who succeeds in this profession has a responsibility to make the path a little easier for the woman who comes after her.”
On women supporting women she says, “Their journeys remind me that progress is rarely individual. Every woman who succeeds in this profession has a responsibility to make the path a little easier for the woman who comes after her.”
Hlengiwe Penelope Mtetwa represents another dimension of a changing profession. Her career sits at the intersection of law, technology, governance and digital transformation.
“My career exposed me to legal technology, contract management, public-sector transformation, governance and broader policy making conversations, and I began to understand that my interest in those areas did not make me less of an attorney.”
Mtetwa says finding her place has also meant refusing to wait for permission.
“With experience, I have learnt that you cannot spend your entire career waiting for someone else to validate your presence.”
Mtetwa believes the next step is moving beyond simply counting women in the profession to ensuring they have meaningful influence over its direction.
“I would like the next generation of women to inherit a profession in which representation has progressed beyond simply counting how many women are in the room. Representation must extend to the leadership of institutions, the receiving of significant briefs, becoming equity partners, sitting at decision-making tables and whose ideas shape the future of the profession.”
