Startup Story

Speak to Grace Gichanga, founder of Luma Law (South Africa), and she will tell you that she loves, loves, loves the law, because of its power to transform lives. As an attorney with over 10 years of experience, not surprisingly Grace has built a business which allows her to share her love of the law and how it works with the people of South Africa. The business was founded 2 years ago and LUMA the legal literacy chatbot officially went live on Facebook Messenger at the beginning of April 2020. Grace is committed to the vision of an empowered Africa through technology, innovation and the principles of social justice.

LoA met with Grace recently and chatted to her about her business, her unique journey, and her powerful mission.

What does your company do?

We provide free information on the law, its processes and procedures enabling the end user to navigate the requirements of the legal system. Further we provide access to affordable on demand legal assistance and advise.

“Before LUMA, I was following a traditional path firmly focused on climbing the corporate ladder, but as fate would have it, here I am today, building an African tech business that could change how justice is experienced for many on the continent.”

What inspired you to start your company?

To be honest being a tech entrepreneur was never part of my plan. My journey started in 2016 when I started conducting legal literacy lunchtime workshops in the basement, at my employer’s corporate offices with the cleaners and security guards. I only did this because a lot of the ladies would come to me for advice on maintenance, domestic violence and general labour law issues. I loved it, every minute of it, soon these workshops quickly snowballed into community workshops and that is where the idea of LUMA was first sparked, out of necessity. The process of responding to the same or similar queries about the law or forms or supporting documentation via WhatsApp and Facebook messenger became overwhelming and exhausting. I just knew there had to be a better way. My thinking was that people are already glued to their phones, predominantly on chat platforms such as WhatsApp and Facebook messenger. These platforms are data effective and allow for quick real time feedback imagine being able to disseminate information on the law and its processes, making the law accessible to well, almost everyone. The rest as they say is history.

Why should anyone use your service or product?

Imagine having access to free information on the law and knowing how to navigate the legal system. We do that! Through our chatbot LUMA we make the law accessible anytime, anywhere. We further provide access to affordable on demand legal assistance because navigating the legal system is a human experience and yes it’s always a good idea to have a professional lawyer to provide you with assistance when the law gets complicated.

“My future plans and aspirations for my company are to become the default legal literacy platform in Africa.”

Tell us a little about your team

I follow a less conventional approach because I 100% believe that collaboration is the new competition. As such I work with amazing organisations and individuals who all contribute towards the success of LUMA.

Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And do you come from an entrepreneurial background?

Growing up and watching my father who was a serial entrepreneur, I always knew that I wanted to be just like him. He prided himself on the fact that he had never had a boss in his life. He allowed me to believe that anything was possible and that only I was responsible for my success. Before LUMA, I was following a traditional path firmly focused on climbing the corporate ladder, but as fate would have it, here I am today, building an African tech business that could change how justice is experienced for many on the continent.

What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?

To become the default legal literacy platform in Africa.

What gives you the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur?

Knowing that my work has the power to positively impact lives. Once you are in a position to live your purpose and align with your values everyday there cannot be anything more satisfying.

What's the biggest piece of advice you can give to other women looking to start-up?

Just start! with what you have and where you are. The stars will never perfectly align, the best teacher is experience. You too will learn along the way. This is your journey, be deliberate, be decisive.

Contact or follow Luma Law

Why LoA loves it….

At Lionesses of Africa, we love those women entrepreneurs who harness the power of technology to realize their goals and create exciting high impact businesses that change lives. Grace Gichanga is one such pioneer, and her innovations and passion for making a difference in South Africa through the law are already winning plaudits and fans alike. She was one of the finalists in the VW Lionesses Den pitch competition in 2020 in recognition of her innovation and business ingenuity. This is definitely a business to watch as it continues to innovate and educate in legal literacy in the country. — Melanie Hawken, founder & ceo of Lionesses of Africa