Artificial intelligence is rapidly moving from novelty to necessity inside South Africa’s conveyancing industry, with attorneys warning that firms unwilling to adapt risk being left behind.
During a panel discussion at the 2026 LexisNexis Future of Conveyancing Conference in Cape Town recently, several leading conveyancing practitioners, legal technology specialists, and attorneys noted how AI has already become embedded in their daily workflows, helping draft agreements, summarise documents, automate routine tasks, and reduce costly mistakes.
Melissa Webb of Webb Attorneys said the legal profession was standing on the edge of significant technological transformation and argued that firms resisting the shift would struggle to remain competitive. “There is so much change happening at the moment, and change is exciting,” Webb said. “We are at the door of so many new things that are coming along.”
Webb said that her own firm was built around the idea of mobility and technological flexibility after becoming frustrated with traditional legal structures that could not adapt to changing working environments. “I need to be able to open my laptop wherever I am and be able to provide a legal solution to my clients,” she said. Artificial intelligence, she added, has already become an indispensable part of that process.
Webb also shared how AI tools now assist her with drafting legal documents, analysing agreements of sale, preparing presentations, and streamlining research. She cited an example of using AI to draft a Right of First Refusal Agreement within minutes. “I had the draft out in two minutes,” Webb said. “I have the experience, I have the knowledge, I’ve been doing this for over 20 years. That means that I could go through the AI work product and say, ‘I don’t like this, this needs to change.’”
Practitioners engaging in the panel discussion said that AI was not replacing lawyers but rather enhancing productivity and reducing administrative burdens. Stephan Le Roux of Sampson Attorneys said AI is a practical tool that frees attorneys to focus on relationships and strategic legal thinking. “People do business with people, not with brands, not with AI,” Le Roux said. “They are there for you. And that is the fundamental thing of being a lawyer.”
He also admitted that AI had become useful for softening the tone of his own legal correspondence. “Sometimes when I write to my opponents, I’ve got to ask ChatGPT to make this letter sound softer,” Le Roux shared. “AI is not going to take away anybody’s job,” he said. “It is still going to require that human in the loop.”
This view is shared by LexisNexis South Africa CEO Ian Andrews, who has been cited as saying that “AI will not replace lawyers but will augment them. The depth of legal expertise, the years of experience, and the human judgment required in legal practice are irreplaceable. AI enhances efficiency and enables legal professionals to focus more on consulting, advising, interpreting, and advocating, while AI handles the heavy lifting in the background.”
Still, concerns remained about overreliance on technology and whether younger practitioners are losing fundamental drafting and analytical skills. Attorney Eberhard Kruger, a Director at Van Zyl Kruger Incorporated warned that while AI improves efficiency, junior attorneys still need to learn through experience and mistakes. “The challenge comes in given that we all have experience in the field, but how are young practitioners going to learn if they simply resort to AI?” Kruger questioned. “If you don’t adapt to AI, then it’s the wrong mindset,” he said.
The panel also acknowledged growing fears around confidentiality, inaccurate outputs, and so-called hallucinations generated by some AI systems.
Leigh-Anne Webster, Head of Product for Workflow Solutions at LexisNexis South Africa, said those concerns are partly why many legal professionals remain cautious. “There is still quite a bit of mistrust there and almost hesitancy to engage with AI,” Webster said. She noted that LexisNexis products such as Protégé are closed AI systems trained on verified legal content, rather than relying on open public platforms where sensitive legal information could potentially be exposed. “This hesitation is paramount to LexisNexis. This is why we have taken a deliberate approach to building AI solutions that are grounded in ethical frameworks and rigorous, high-quality training models. While evolving with technology is essential, we believe that the systems legal professionals depend on must meet a standard that truly warrants trust, ensuring accuracy, security, and confidence in every interaction.”
To learn more about LexisNexis South Africa’s AI-powered legal workflow solutions, including Protégé: www.lexisnexis.co.za
