Malebo Moropa

From Pretoria’s close-knit family life to the global stage of the legal profession, Malebo Moropa,  35, is an advocate for justice, leadership and transformation. A passion for law was ignited when she shadowed legal professionals and a High Court judge during her high school years, participating in the Take a Girl Child to Work initiative. Malebo is an advocate at the Johannesburg Society of Advocates, where she specialises in litigation, drafting court papers, legal opinions and working closely with attorneys and clients to tackle complex legal matters. No two days are the same, a reality Malebo embraces for its challenge and opportunity to grow. In 2024, she was called to the Bar of England and Wales, becoming a barrister — a milestone in an industry where representation remains limited for black women. Another accomplishment was co-founding a new society of advocates in Pretoria in 2019. Beyond the courtroom, Moropa is committed to uplifting rural youth and supporting learners through school. Her work reflects her conviction that genuine progress necessitates a combination of legal expertise and social responsibility.

• Bachelor of Laws (LLB), University of the Witwatersrand
• LLM in International Business Law (cum laude), Université Panthéon-Assas, Paris, France

• Being called to the Bar of England and Wales and becoming a barrister in 2024 was deeply personal and profoundly meaningful as a black female in South Africa — a landscape where representation in the legal profession has historically presented formidable challenges
• The establishment of a new society of advocates in Pretoria — my home city — in less than five years at the Bar was achieved in collaboration with close colleagues and friends to build a supportive professional collective. This was accomplished amidst the advent of a new legal act and a dynamic political landscape within the Bar structures.

While I don’t attribute my inspiration to a single individual, I am profoundly influenced and shaped by women both within and outside the legal profession. Beyond those I encounter in my daily life, I am particularly inspired by the countless women who have come before me, whose pioneering efforts have illuminated the path for my own journey. Trailblazers such as Victoria Mxenge stand as towering figures whose courage and unwavering commitment to justice paved the way for individuals like myself to occupy the positions we do today. Their sacrifices and determination created the opportunities that I, and many others, now benefit from. In the profession, I have experienced the incredible resilience, strength, and multifaceted capabilities of women. I am consistently inspired by their meticulous approach and perspective—qualities that not only drive success in their professional endeavors but also enrich their personal lives. Their capacity for empathy, strategic thinking, and unwavering determination motivates me to strive for excellence in my own work and to embrace challenges with similar fortitude.