Alungile Madolo, the director of Alungile Madolo Incorporated, is making waves in South Africa’s legal world.
Admitted as an attorney to the South African High Court at 26 years old, her story is one of resilience and ambition.
Born and raised in the Coza hamlet of Libode in the Eastern Cape, Madolo’s journey to success began with a determination to break free from her humble roots.
“I really loved how lawyers handled themselves in court and that is exactly when I decided that one day that is going to be mine representing my people in court,” she said.
She graduated in 2019 with a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from Walter Sisulu University and later completed her practical legal education at the Law School in East London.
In 2020, Madolo worked as a Candidate Attorney at AS Zono and Associates, and just a year later, in 2021, she was officially admitted as an attorney to the South African High Court.
“Well, the biggest challenge I used to encounter is being a new female attorney. Being judged by my physical stature and people not giving me a chance to present myself. I am female, I am short and now people are not sure as to whether or not such a person can represent them in court.
“So that is where I encountered problems to a point where I wouldn’t even get instructions. I, however, overcome all of that by staying true to myself and being confident that I will stop even so, I will still push harder and impress my clients,” she stated.
Rather than wait for traditional employment, she took a bold step and founded her own law firm, Alungile Madolo Incorporated, in Mthatha.
Madolo’s practice offers a range of legal services, including debt collection, family law, criminal law, and civil law.
Reflecting on her decision to start her own firm, Madolo shared, “Opening my own legal firm at the age of 25 was the best decision I have ever made. As an Attorney, I have learnt that one must just be patient.
“Especially financially! I have learnt that the route I chose needs commitment. One must just take a short break from the world and focus a lot more on building their names in this career.”
Notably, Madolo’s story is a powerful reminder of the importance of perseverance, patience, and taking bold steps toward achieving one’s dreams.
“If you really love law, then this course and career is the most interesting. I see it as one of the careers that also has many job opportunities especially in this difficult era of high unemployment rate.
“To name a few, one can be an attorney, advocate, prosecutor, legal advisor, a scholar and many other opportunities in the law career. So I would definitely encourage that person to push harder,” she explained.
