It's a warning shot for a profession moving faster into AI than almost any other in the country. The American Bar Association's 2024 Legal Technology Survey found that AI use among lawyers had nearly tripled in a single year. Closer to home, Microsoft's Q1 2026 Global AI Diffusion report puts South Africa's overall AI usage at 23.1% of the working-age population, ahead of every other African economy measured, but still trailing the developed markets setting the pace. The tools are arriving in legal practice faster than the guardrails, the skills, or the industry conversation around them.
That gap is exactly what a new event is being built to close.
The Future of Law: From Legal Information to Legal Intelligence – Shaping the Next Era of Law takes place on 03 November 2026 at the Sandton Convention Centre. Convened by Topco Media and grounded in LexisNexis South Africa's legal expertise and thought leadership, the event is a first-of-its-kind benchmark platform, bringing together legal practitioners, corporate counsel, regulators, academics, and technology leaders to confront the questions the profession can no longer defer. LexisNexis South Africa's legal expertise, will be among the thought leaders shaping the discussion, appearing alongside expert industry voices from the legal, regulatory, academic and technology sectors, a coalition of perspectives, not a single one.
The stakes are no longer theoretical
For every law firm and legal department watching AI reshape adjacent industries, the anxiety is the same: adopt too slowly and get outpaced by competitors and clients who expect faster, smarter service; adopt too quickly, without governance or judgement, and risk exactly the kind of reputational and professional damage already playing out in South African courtrooms.
The legal profession does not have the luxury of sitting this out.
Beyond the hype
Where much of the current AI conversation stays stuck in hype and headline anxiety, The Future of Law is designed to go further, into what these developments practically mean for legal professionals and organisations tomorrow morning.
Through keynote conversations, expert panel discussions, real-world case studies, and interactive roundtables, delegates will confront the questions defining the next decade of legal practice:
- What will the legal profession look like in 2035?
- Will AI replace lawyers – or elevate them?
- How will law firms and legal teams transform through intelligent technology?
- What skills will tomorrow's legal professionals need to stay relevant?
- How should organisations navigate AI governance, data privacy, cybersecurity, and evolving regulation?
- What role will human judgement, ethics, and the rule of law play in an increasingly digital legal environment?
Running through every conversation is a shared commitment to responsible AI adoption. The Mavundla case is a reminder of what is at stake when technology outpaces professional judgement: verified legal information, rigorous sourcing and human oversight are not optional extras in legal practice, they are its foundation. The Future of Law is built on the conviction that AI should strengthen the rule of law and professional accountability, not erode them, a principle that sits at the heart of LexisNexis South Africa's own mission and one this platform is designed to put into practice, not just debate.
From legal information to legal intelligence
At the heart of the event is a fundamental shift: from simply accessing legal information to using legal intelligence, combining human judgement and expertise with technology, data, and emerging AI capabilities to build a smarter, more efficient, future-ready legal sector.
LexisNexis South Africa will be one of the thought leaders shaping the discussion on stage, appearing alongside expert industry voices from across the legal, regulatory, academic and technology sectors.
Ian Andrews, CEO of LexisNexis South Africa, says the profession is at an inflection point:
"The legal profession is entering a period of profound transformation. Artificial intelligence and digital technologies are not simply changing the tools lawyers use; they are changing how legal professionals access information, analyse complexity, make decisions and deliver value to their clients. The opportunity before us is to move beyond simply accessing legal information towards using legal intelligence to make better, more informed decisions. Partnering with Topco Media to launch LexisNexis’ inaugural event creates an important, platform for us to lead an open and meaningful conversation about how we embrace this transformation while protecting the principles of ethics, human judgement and the rule of law that sit at the heart of our profession."
Ralf Fletcher, CEO of Topco Media, frames the opportunity as one the profession must actively shape, not simply absorb:
"The future of law is not something that will happen to the profession – it is something that legal leaders have an opportunity to shape. By partnering with LexisNexis South Africa for this inaugural platform, we are establishing a unique space that will drive real industry progression. At Topco Media, we believe in creating platforms that bring the right people into the room to have the conversations that matter. The Future of Law brings together the legal profession, business, regulators, academia and technology to explore not only what is changing, but what we should be doing about it. This is about moving beyond the conversation around disruption and focusing on the practical opportunities to build a smarter, more innovative and future-ready legal sector."
Shaping the next era of law
The Future of Law is designed to be more than a conversation about technology. As the first integrated forum of its scope in South Africa, it examines how people, technology, regulation, and legal expertise must work together to shape a profession equipped for what's next. Convened by Topco Media and grounded in LexisNexis South Africa's legal expertise, the platform's stage will be shared by voices from across the legal, regulatory, academic and technology sectors, reflecting the collaborative nature of the profession's next chapter.
Invited guests will leave with practical insight into legal research, drafting, workflows, governance, and decision-making in an AI-shaped profession, plus the connections and perspective needed to navigate the change already underway.
The Future of Law takes place on 03 November 2026 at the Sandton Convention Centre.
Join the conversation shaping the next era of law.
