Covid-19 has created a lot of movement in local economy as businesses, government and private citizens adjust to a new economic climate. The property sector has seen considerable activity, and while the mood across the country remains uncertain there are nonetheless many opportunities opening up for South Africans to restructure their lives and businesses in positive ways.
‘There is a lot of space now to make moves at different levels,’ says Bomikazi Ndukwana, Director & Attorney at Ndukwana Attorneys. ‘Some property owners are selling up and buying smaller assets to address financial concerns, but a lot of others are also taking advantage of the investment opportunities a fluid market offers. Equally, a lot of people are changing jobs and starting to explore new types of work. All of these shifts also involve, of course, legal agreements.’
In summary, the local economy is currently fast paced, with many decisions being made at speed. In this kind of environment Ndukwana cautions that all role players should keep a careful eye on the fine print and avoid signing too quickly on any dotted line. She goes on to explain that personal and professional context is the key to making the right life decisions during turbulent times.
‘From changing jobs to structuring personal relationships to property purchase offers and conveyancing, your life context really matters, and should guide your legal arrangements and your choice of service provider,’ she says. ‘Only when a professional understands where you come from and what your values are can, they perceive all the nuances of your objectives, and deliver services accordingly.’
Ndukwana hails from the small Eastern Cape town of Mbizana and has travelled a focused road on her journey to owning her own Johannesburg legal practice. As one of the country’s few black female legal firm owners she knows she has a special responsibility as a role model and believes that she best delivers on this by adding value to her clients’ lives through legal and contractual empowerment.
‘There is no such thing as a standard legal agreement or contract, and no one should ever “just sign here” when making important life moves,’ she explains. ‘Every legal agreement, whether it’s the registration of customary marriage or a property deal, must be shaped to meet the specific needs of both parties. One of our key goals at Ndukwana Attorneys is to make sure that our clients don’t fall into the ‘just sign here’ trap. We want to empower all South Africans to be much more proactive in the way they think about their legal agreements.’
Ndukwana Attorneys works actively with South Africans to make sure they get maximum possible value from every legal agreement – and to ensure that more people see this proactive approach as a standard part of life, and business culture.
To fulfil its vision the firm, which was founded in 2015, focuses its services around four key departments: deceased estates and registrations of customary marriages, civil litigation, registration of copyrights and trademarks, and registrations of properties / conveyancing.
‘It’s been a fascinating journey so far, and we’re taking real satisfaction in the position the firm is starting to hold in Johannesburg,’ concludes Ndukwana. ‘As the city and our country start to focus on post Covid life we expect to be very busy helping South Africans adjust to the new normal: which means helping people manage the risks effectively, while also helping them to take advantage of new and emerging opportunities.’
