South Africa's My AI Lawyer reports workplace disputes as top query category

Workplace disputes represent 37% of all queries processed by My AI Lawyer, a South African legal chatbot, according to platform data from the first half of 2026. This category is the most frequent area of inquiry, followed by criminal law at 15%, financial and debt matters at 12%, and family law and property disputes at approximately 10% each.

Within the workplace category, users primarily sought information regarding salaries, wages, employment contracts, unfair dismissals, and CCMA processes. Michael Visser, head of services at My AI Lawyer, noted that the high volume of queries reflects a demand for accessible legal advice among South Africans who fall into a gap: they do not qualify for legal aid but cannot afford private attorneys.

The platform, developed by Legal Interact with Legal&Tax, aims to address informational imbalances where employers often hold more power due to superior access to legal resources. This trend aligns with concerns raised by Justice Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi regarding prohibitive legal costs, geographic remoteness, and practitioner shortages in lower-income communities.