As an admitted advocate of the High Court of South Africa and a member of the Johannesburg Bar, Shomane Mathiba does not settle for anything less than excellence. This, he acknowledges, is the result of the outstanding law programme at Stellenbosch University.

Shomane, who graduated with his LLB in 2015, elaborates: “There are many other good law schools in the country offering an LLB programme, and I have had the great privilege of both attending and teaching at those universities. But there can be no doubt that the LLB programme at SU is the most comprehensive and challenging in the country. The Law Faculty boasts renowned and passionate academics from whom I learnt a great deal.”

He then recalls his year of training at the Johannesburg Bar, when they were taught on issues of the law of delict. “Some of my colleagues, who had no doubt passed with better grades than me at their respective universities, had an obvious paucity of knowledge on the law of delict. That made me realise that the foundation one is equipped with after completing a Stellenbosch LLB degree no doubt gives you an edge in the workplace.”

Practising as an advocate at the Johannesburg Bar, a large portion of his work is in the areas of commercial and corporate law, insolvency and business rescue, constitutional and administrative law, banking law, and general regulatory work.

He previously worked as an attorney at a top-tier law firm in Sandton, but came to realise that he was better suited to the role of advocate: “Advocates generally specialise in court craftsmanship, preparing court papers and litigating or arguing in court. I think I am better at understanding, packaging and presenting arguments in court. While attorneys also ‘argue’ in court, their job involves a lot of administrative work as well. That’s the part I am not so good at,” Shomane explains. “Being an advocate is incredibly challenging. These practitioners generally shape the law through court cases. It is a huge responsibility, and nervewracking at times. But it is also highly rewarding, and not only financially. It is intellectually stimulating.”

Having grown up in a township in Brits in the North West province and matriculated from an agricultural school called Die Hoërskool Wagpos just outside of town, it is easy to see why Shomane is so passionate about ensuring that youth from disadvantaged backgrounds receive opportunities.

“I consider myself privileged to have had the opportunities I had in life, and I will always commit to ensuring that those who grew up with me and around me have similar, if not better, opportunities.”

“During my final year at SU, a friend from my high school approached me to start a waste management business together. We were fortunate that things took off quite well, and I made a commitment to ensure that it would be a company for the youth by the youth. We undertook to employ only young people in the communities in which we operated. This worked rather well for each of those communities as well as for the company,” he says. “Since then, I’ve been engaged by various companies and entities to play a part not only in their businesses, but also in their corporate social responsibility initiatives.”

He adds: “After my time at SU, it is my wish that every South African who finishes Grade 12 gets an opportunity to study or even just spend time at a tertiary institution away from home. Attending SU quite literally opened up my mind to the world and life. It has shaped how I think about and approach important life issues, and I am indebted to the University for the experience. I wish that every youth could gain as much from a tertiary institution as I did.”

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