ABOUT US

Mashabela IP is South African boutique law firm rendering specialised services to private and state owned entities and entrepreneurs locally and internationally. Our services are exclusively aimed at Intellectual Property (IP), Commercial and Corporate Law. We effectively ensure that creations of human intellect are legally protected and commercialised.

Mashabela IP is located in Hatfield and thus easily accessible to the Companies Intellectual Property Office in Pretoria. Mashabela IP is a walking distance from the Hatfield Gautrain station thus easily accessible to stakeholders.

Our Origins

Tumelo Mashabela, founded Mashabela IP in April 2016. Tumelo is the hailed first South African black African female patent attorney. Our origins were motivated by a desire to be an agent for change, transfer skills and build a successful and proudly black owned and managed IP and Commercial law firm.
Our ultimate goal is to create a viable platform that will be a major contributor in addressing the current shortfall of IP Practitioners and black-female owned IP firms in South Africa. We believe that participating in the IP related field, will offer us an opportunity to address wider social inequalities and economic imbalance that beset our society.

OUR VISION

To be a leader in providing quality and personalised corporate, commercial and IP legal services to all clients, at reasonable costs. 

OUR MISSION

To create awareness and take pride in taking our clients through the process of protecting their IP and helping them to realise the value of their IP while ensuring that corporate and commercial aspects are adhered to at all times.

Our Values

Mashabela IP is driven by a passionate commitment to delivering a highly-professional personalised service. In striving to achieve our goal, Mashabela IP will be governed by the following values:

EXCELLENCE

We strive to become one of the most cost effective and sought-after providers of corporate, commercial and IP legal services,

CUSTOMER-CENTRIC

We endeavour to meet and exceed the expectations of our clients in all aspects relating to their corporate, commercial and IP requirements.

 INTEGRITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY

Uncompromisingly ethical, open and honest in all our relationships with our clients and stakeholders at all times.

ENCOURAGEMENT

We promote a collegial atmosphere in which all individuals are encouraged to LEARN, IMPROVE and EXCEL and to become leaders in the IP field.

DIVERSITY

We encourage diversity among our members and respect for differences among us.

TRANSFORMATION

Attracting, developing and procuring the best talent from historically disadvantaged individuals.

TEAM MEMBERS

Tumelo Mashabela
Managing Director Registered Patent Attorney

“Be the change that you wish to see in the world”– Mahatma Gandhi.

Tumelo is a black dynamic female patent attorney with extensive skills in various aspects of intellectual property, corporate and commercial law. Tumelo has more than 15 years working experience, with 13 years in the field of IP. Tumelo holds a degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Cape Town and an LLB degree from the University of South Africa. She worked as an engineer for a Denel SOC Ltd. This is where she obtained most of her technical experience.
After her stint at the weapons company, Tumelo joined the South African Government’s Innovation Fund (now known as Technology Innovation Agency), where she gained a lot of exposure on commercialisation of high-tech inventions in the field of electronics and the protection of IP. She joined Spoor & Fisher Attorneys and qualified as a first black African female patent attorney in South Africa.
She joined the South African Revenue Services (SARS) as an Intellectual Property Specialist. Her position included providing advice on claims for R&D allowances; identifying loopholes and tax avoidance schemes and suggesting potential solutions. She was also involved in assisting the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) in approving/disapproving applications received for the expatriation of IP. Tumelo continued with her career and honing her corporate, commercial and IP skills by joining Adams & Adams Law Firm and left at partnership level.
Tumelo joined Armscor SOC Ltd as a Senior Manager: Innovation. In this position, she established a division which was responsible for the management of IP and exploitation thereof. The IP is developed or acquired by Armscor, for and on behalf of the Secretary for Defence.
She is a member of the Law Society of the Northern Province and an Advisory Board member for National Intellectual Property Office – an agency for Department of Science and Technology. Tumelo is the first Black African Female to qualify as a Patent Attorney in South Africa.

Florence Tshaya
Office Administrator

.“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing” – Edmund Burke.

Florence Tshaya, is an Office Administrator and Searcher with 7 years’ experience in IP searches and reporting. Florence gained valuable searching, analysis and reporting experience while employed by Spoor & Fisher Attorneys. During these years, she gained highly valuable knowledge in IP. Florence’s’ role in the firm includes establishing and maintain rapport between Mashabela IP’s, present and prospective clients. She will ensure that you are welcomed at Mashabela IP with the outmost respect and passion for her position. Florence runs the day – to – day activities of Mashabela IP and keeps all team members informed and up to date.

Ursuley matjeke
admitted attorney

 

Ursuley Matjeke is an admitted attorney of the high Court of South Africa. Ursuley graduated with an LLB from the University of South Africa (“UNISA”) during 2015 and completed his Practical Legal Training (“PTL”) with Legal Education and Development (“L.E.A.D”) in Pretoria in 2016

Ursuley served his articles of clerkship at Ramushu Mashile Twala in Santon, Johannesburg, from June 2017 to June 2018 and was admitted as an attorney in August 2018.

During his articles,Ursuley he dealt mainly in commercial litigation, local government and environmental law, civil litigation and estates. Ursuley is part of our team and deals in Trade Marks, Copyrights, Commercial law, Corporate Law and Litigation