TOPLEGAL

One of the major problem that affects the lives of people living in poverty that our solution seeks to address is the inaccessibility, unaffordability, and inconveniences faced by the Zimbabwean majority when accessing justice. More than two thirds of the global population are failed by the justice system according to 2019 reports[1]. In Zimbabwe, in the first three months of 2020 alone, more than 105 000 people had been arrested[2] and these are arrests happening where according to World Bank reports more than 72% live below the poverty datum line[3]. In our 2021 research in October, one of our target market- small scale artisanal miners were and still are facing arbitrary arrests and, up to 70 arrests had been recorded country wide in this sector[4]. Affording and easily accessing legal services which they desperately need has been a major problem. Generally more than 67% of Zimbabweans cannot afford a lawyer[5]. More than 60% of Zimbabweans reside in rural areas[6] and these are areas one hardly finds court houses and law firms. People travel to towns and cities to access either a law firm or court house or both. At times, only to be told they have to make a police report first at their local police station. How frustrating! Diaspora Zimbabweans still need legal services ranging from contracts, conveyancing, notarial work, family law matters and getting hold of a lawyer for them is by getting on google to look for a contact detail from unverified and untrustworthy sources because even the Law Society of Zimbabwe does not have such database available to public. When carrying out market research, we were asking, particularly motorists: “Right now, a wrong happens to the extent that justice cannot wait but has to be done, do you have the proper help?” Most respondents answered “NO”. Our innovative solution seeks to address these three challenges of accessibility, affordability and inconveniences in accessing justice all at once.

[1] Poor bear the brunt as legal system fails 5.1 billion, The Guardian 2019, https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2019/apr/29/global-justice-system-fails-5-billion-people-study

[2] Coronavirus, Zimbabwe arrests more than 100 000 for violation of measures, BBC 2020, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-53462259

[3] Are 7 out of 10 Zimbabweans living in poverty? Zimfact 2018, https://zimfact.org/are-7-out-of-10-zimbabweans-living-in-poverty/ 

[4] Toplegal Market Research, October 2021, unpublished, but is available upon request by any authority.

[5] World Justice Project, 2018 General Population Poll survey module on legal needs and access to justice. Data collected by Quest Research Services using a nationally representative probability sample of 1001 respondents in the country.

[6] Malvaux, Rural population in Zimbabwe, 2020, https://www.malvaux.com/mlhcqysf/rural-population-in-zimbabwe.html#:~:text=Rural%20population%20(%25%20of%20total,67.7%25%20lives%20in%20rural%20areas.

TOPLEGAL is using the legacy booth model, supported by a tech infrastructure. It connects the consumer of justice with legal help in a quick, affordable and more convenient way. Our mobile application allows people to book, order and access legal services without necessarily visiting a law firm, visiting only when one has a matter that needs to go to trial. It is basically a cost-effective and convenient digital lawfirm with online lawyers. Our mobile app has such features as “Find A Lawyer” that allows a user to book a lawyer of their choice in any town or city. It liberalizes payment to ensure that users can opt to pay once off or on a monthly subscription and access legal services from as low as USD $2 a month. A person can register, pay, claim and get most legal services from the platform without necessarily visiting a law firm saving them travelling hustles and costs.  They can register and login to their account to see their payments, history, claims, etc. We project to have services within 24hours or less something which is new in the sector. To make our technology and services practically possible and efficient in a country where there is slow adoption of technology[1], we have integrated this into a hybrid approach with the booth model system. A small booth located at every police station and court house in Harare is where our para-legal is stationed whose main duties are: to quickly assist clients with any legal issue that doesn’t need appearance in court, payment of fines, access to and filling court papers. Our paralegal always has joining forms for legal insurance and swipe machines also collecting cash payments for potential clients. It is meant to guarantee quick services such as payment of fines, bail applications, etc. Based on the lawyers-locum service that we have set up, clients are guaranteed of 12 hours online legal service support from lawyers through calls, video chats, etc and physical consultations with lawyers on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at any of our booths.  Currently, all legal services are being accessed physically. People in rural areas travels to towns to get lawyers. Legal insurance exists in Zimbabwe but it starts from USD$20, such legal aid societies as Law For All. Unlike our decentralized system of booth model, their clients need to get to their offices to access even the smallest of services, without digital platforms as well to enhance quicker and efficient service delivery. However, our solution brings along affordability, with legal cover starting from as low as USD$2 and our actuarial is reviewing the possibility of a USD$1 per month. We have introduced accessibility with the help of a technological infrastructure which allows users from rural areas and anywhere across the world to book, access and talk to a Zimbabwean lawyer of their choice and also have their matters settled on our platform without necessarily visiting a law firm physically.

[1] Technology adoption in Zimbabwe stands at 3.7% (2019): https://www.researchgate.net/publication/303995558_ICT_adoption_and_use_in_Zimbabwean_SMEs

According to the 2018 Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa study conducted by the Micro Insurance Network, only two percent of Africa's low-income population is currently served by micro insurers.

Toplegal made specifically for the low income earner that need a lawyer but cannot afford one because they are expensive. Statistics indicate that more than 67% of people in Zimbabwe cannot afford a lawyer. According to statistics by World Bank, more than 72% of Zimbabweans live below the poverty datum line. In doing our market research, we categorized our target market.

Except for civil servants, others formally employed in the private sector and SMEs, as one of our target market, the rest of our target market falls below the poverty datum line and is in the informal sector (which constitutes more than 80% of the Zimbabwean economy). Our target market consists of small scale artisanal miners, vendors, taxi drivers, the rural population and anyone who cant afford a lawyer generally.  These are groups that live on $2-$5 a day on an average basis. Nevertheless, they are one of the groups that need legal services the most because most of them operate without licences and are always in conflict with the law or are located in rural areas. After interviews, the majority of them indicated they are able to pay for $5 individual insurance monthly and what is critical in this sector is strengthening payment methods as we have learnt in the previous 6 months (June-December 2022).

2021 research in October, one of our target market- small scale artisanal miners were and still are facing arbitrary arrests and, up to 70 arrests had been recorded country wide in this sector within a month. Affording and easily accessing legal services which they desperately need has been a major problem. Generally more than 67% of Zimbabweans cannot afford a lawyer. The same goes for startups and SMEs which are looking for ways to regularize their businesses, contract drafting, legal advise, partnership agreements, etc.

More than 60% of Zimbabweans reside in rural areas  and these are areas one hardly finds court houses and law firms. People travel to towns and cities to access either a law firm or court house or both. At times, only to be told they have to make a police report first at their local police station. How frustrating!

Diaspora Zimbabweans still need legal services ranging from contracts, conveyancing, notarial work, family law matters and getting hold of a lawyer for them is by getting on google to look for a contact detail from unverified and untrustworthy sources because even the Law Society of Zimbabwe does not have such database available to public. When carrying out market research, we were asking, particularly motorists: “Right now, a wrong happens to the extent that justice cannot wait but has to be done, do you have the proper help?” Most respondents answered “NO”. Our innovative solution seeks to address these three challenges of accessibility, affordability and inconveniences in accessing justice all at once.

Courteney Mukoyi: is the co-founder and C.E.O of the startup who is responsible for the overall oversight of the implementation of the program, supervising and following up with his heads of departments to ensure if different deliverables relevant to different departments have been fulfilled. He is also responsible for the vision of the company. He has a strong passion for legal-tech, having started a successful civic-tech startup (Justice Code Foundation) in Zimbabwe is now venturing into legal-tech. He has had worked with the Judicial Service Commission at the help desk during his internship, giving him and exposure into the challenges of the justice seekers. With Justice Code Foundation, he has also designed a justice related platform called Astrea Justice which has won the World Democracy Innovation award in 2022. With Justice Code Foundation, he worked with rural communities seeking to get a remedy for human rights violations giving him an exposure into the barriers on access to justice.

Benjamin Makono: is the co-founder and holds the position of Finance and Administration in the company. He has been with the company since its formation and has is be responsible for all financial management, procurements, etc as well as administrative work. He is be responsible for disbursing all the finances of the organization whenever necessary and relevant. He is be responsible for administrative work as well.

George Chirombedze: is the Sales and Marketing Executive of the company. He has worked in the legal sector as a marketer for other legal aid companies such as Sossana Legal Aid, Gladius Legal Aid since 2013. He knows the sector and how to penetrate its markets.

Paidamoyo Chikumbu: is the Chief Technology Officer. He has worked at different startups such as Daredzidzo, he has also worked with Justice Code Foundation developing its solutions and now is with TOPLEGAL. He has an understanding of the legal/justice sector as well as the tech sector with particular focus on working with start-ups. 

All of the above are full-time and been working in the start-up on full time basis. Fortune Chasi: Is the current chairperson of the non-executive board. He is responsible for communicating the decisions of the non-executive board. He is the former deputy minister of justice who understands the justice sector from top bottom having worked as a lawyer and also in the NGO sector with Legal Resource Foundation.

One of the foremost areas we are looking to benefit from Solve is through raising capital. Our start-up is at a stage where it is ready to start rolling out its product in other communities but has been restrained by capital. The second way is that we are looking to have our technology team widen its knowledge and exposure to the technology network and knowledge as well. We are also hoping to have our ideas and approaches subjected to constructive criticism so that we can further develop them and focus on areas that need us to strengthen. We are also looking to find advise on ways we can easily scale up into other countries.