- info@saneymbathaattorneys.co.za
- 078 743 3675
- +27 (12) 023-4429
We Provide Legal Aid
100% black woman-owned
Saney Mbatha & Associates Inc . Is a 100% black women – owned boutique law firm, which was founded by Sanelisiwe Mbatha, known as Saney who is an Africa honorary ward winning lawyer , a distinguished attorney, legal entrepreneur, and community advocate whose work spans law, healthcare, and social justice.
With Head offices in Johannesburg Sandton and Durban Umhlanga Rocks,
the law firm was a response to provide transformative, professional , efficient sound legal services to our clients .
Our main areas of law are advisory, Regulatory Compliance and Risk Advisory, Public and Municipal Law, Constitutional and Human Rights Law, Administrative and Procurement Law, Commercial and Corporate Advisory , Insurance, Healthcare & Civil Litigation, Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) and Mediation.
We Are Here To Help
OUR OBJECTIVES
We are committed to fight for your rights and to get you what you deserve. We continuously enhance and expand our expertise within the firm, in order to provide our clients with the best legal solutions and services.
Our Services
Accidents happen, We can assist
Meet Our Founder
Sanelisiwe Mbatha
Ms Saney Mbatha is an Admitted Attorney of the High Court of South Africa, duly enrolled in terms of the Legal Practice Act, 28 of 2014, which confers on her the authority to provide legal services, appear in court, advise public and private clients, and serve the public interest with independence and integrity.
She is the Founder and Director of Saney Mbatha & Associates Inc., a 100% black woman-owned boutique legal and advisory firm operating from Sandton and Durban. Her firm blends legal excellence with public purpose, offering services that span the interface between law, governance, regulation, and development.
Ms Mbatha holds an LLM in Medical Law (Dissertation with Distinction) and is currently completing her Doctor of Laws (LLD) at UNISA. Her research focuses on advancing sexual and reproductive health rights of girl children in South Africa — aligned with the Maputo Protocol, CEDAW, CRC, ACRWC, WHO, UNHRC, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goals 3, 5, 10, and 16.
Legal Practice and Sectoral Competence
Saney’s legal career evolved from her earlier work as a theatre nurse and pharmaceutical professional, giving her a practical and interdisciplinary edge. Today, she leads a practice with competencies in:
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Regulatory Compliance and Risk Advisory
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Public and Municipal Law
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Constitutional and Human Rights Law
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Administrative and Procurement Law
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Commercial and Corporate Advisory
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Insurance, Healthcare & Civil Litigation
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Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) and Mediation
Her firm provides litigation and strategic advisory services to government departments, SOEs, businesses, and community organisations, particularly in the sectors of healthcare, energy, infrastructure, education, and local governance.
Transformative Leadership and Access to Justice
In line with the Legal Sector Code and national transformation agenda, Saney:
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Mentors young black women in law
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Lectures Trial Advocacy with BLA-LEC
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Supervises legal research at UNISA (LLB and LLM levels)
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Offers pro bono support to widows and rural communities, especially in Vryheid, KwaZulu-Natal
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Engages in public legal education through community radio and legal outreach
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In June 2025, she was invited by the Law Society of South Africa to address delegates, attended by 600 legal practitioners and in August by Wits BLAsC to address female law students.
Her commitment to justice and social equity is grounded in the South African Constitution, and reinforced by regional and international legal instruments that promote gender equality, legal empowerment, and access to justice.
Governance, Policy Engagement and Regional Alignment
Saney serves in various leadership and governance roles including various boards.
She is a member of BLA, SAWLA, and the Commonwealth Lawyers Association (CLA), and actively promotes legal transformation, public sector accountability, and inclusive development.
Saney was invited to and attended the 2025 Annual General Meeting of the Lesotho Law Society, affirming her standing within Southern African legal networks and her growing influence in cross-border legal cooperation, aligned with the SADC Protocol on Justice, AU Agenda 2063, and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
Strategic Engagements & National Development Footprint
Saney is regularly called upon to participate in multi-stakeholder public interest platforms. In August 2025, she joined dignitaries including:
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The Minister of Electricity and Energy
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The Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies
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Executives from NECSA, Huawei, and Avon & Dedisa
… at the School Lab Handover and Mandela Commemoration in Atteridgeville. Her presence at such events reflects her national development relevance and ability to link law, policy, and science for social impact.
Future Outlook
As a practising attorney under the Legal Practice Act, Saney is equipped to:
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Lead multi-disciplinary legal teams
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Support public and private clients in regulatory reform, governance, ESG compliance, and legal risk management
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Engage in regional law harmonisation, legal education, and policy innovation
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Serve on strategic boards, law reform panels, and public interest task forces
She represents a rising class of African legal professionals who operate beyond traditional legal boundaries — using the law to shape policy, influence governance, and advance development justice across South Africa and the region.
Leadership & Accolades
Saney is an Africa honorary ward winning lawyer , a distinguished attorney, legal entrepreneur, and community advocate whose work spans law, healthcare, and social justice.
Her leadership excellence has earned her major recognition, including first runner-up for Woman of Honour at the 2025 Gauteng Legislature Vita Basadi Awards , the Best Chairperson Award from the South African Women Lawyers Association (SAWLA) and an honorary winner in FortyUnder40 Africa 2026 Awards under Medical Law Excellence.
She was also invited as a keynote speaker at the Law Society of South Africa’s 2025 event, addressing over 1,000 young lawyers, and her address was published in De Rebus ( lawyers Journal ). She is often invited by various Ministers , business leaders and philanthropists to attend their community outreach programmes, to participate in their events and is an activist in the legal profession advocating for women’s right and and a special interest on Sexual Reproductive Health Rights ( SRHR) of young girls in South Africa and Africa at large
Saney is an active member in the Gauteng branch of Black Lawyers Association ( BLA ) and standing for secretary position in the upcoming elections in 2026.
Saney plays a pivotal role in national legal advocacy as National Chairperson for Social Responsibility and Human Rights within SAWLA and actively involved in other lawyers organisation and often invited to attend .
She leads impactful outreach in prisons, creches, rural areas, and townships, offers legal education through radio such as Ukhozi FM etc mentors youth, and serves on various Boards. She further lectures Candidate attorneys ( Trial advocacy ) at Law schools Nationally and mentors young lawyers .furthermore Saney is an undergraduate and post graduates marker ( Research Module ) at the University of South Africa (UNISA)
Her career reflects integrity, leadership, and service and she is passionate about women and Girl children’s Sexual education and reproductive health rights.
She is often instructed in high profile matters and by big lawyers organisations, recently by Lieutenant General Mkhwanazi, the KwaZulu Natal South African Police Service Commissioner , the largest advocates bar in South Africa , the Johannesburg society of advocates ( JSA)
