Young female legal scholars put UP Law on the map at international conference

The Faculty of Law at the University of Pretoria (UP) is proud to celebrate the achievement of Dr Tshepiso Ngoepe from the Department of Mercantile Law and Dr Yeukai Mahleza from the Department of Public Law, who co-presented a paper at the prestigious 19th International Association of Consumer Law (IACL) Global Conference, held recently in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Together, they were honoured with the conference’s “Best English Presentation” award, a remarkable accolade that not only recognises the strength of their research but also celebrates the power of interdisciplinary collaboration between two dynamic young scholars from different legal fields.

Their joint paper, titled “Enhancing Consumer Protection and Product Safety in South Africa: An Analysis of Legislative Frameworks and Human Rights Considerations,” examined product safety issues in South Africa with a specific focus on the spaza shop sector. From a consumer protection perspective, this study assessed whether South Africa’s product safety framework is sufficient to provide tangible access to redress for affected vulnerable consumers. From a human rights perspective, it analysed related rights violations and, importantly, considered the implications of product safety challenges for stateless and undocumented consumers and suppliers.

“The key argument of the paper is that shifts in the regulatory framework are necessary to adequately protect vulnerable consumers and give them speedy access to redress”, Dr Ngoepe explained. “We also advocate for providing undocumented and stateless spaza shop owners with adequate support to become compliant. Our proposals include legislative amendments and institutional support to ensure both the protection of consumers and the fair facilitation of compliance for suppliers.”

The collaboration was born out of the recognition that product safety issues are multi-dimensional, involving multiple stakeholders and intersecting areas of law.

“We considered it valuable to examine this issue from a multifaceted perspective, drawing on our respective areas of expertise”, Dr. Ngoepe said. “I addressed the consumer law regulatory challenges relating to product safety, while Dr Mahleza focused on the human rights violations, particularly those affecting stateless and undocumented persons.”

For both scholars, receiving the Best English Presentation Award was an unforgettable highlight.

“The award was a significant milestone for us, especially as it was given at such an esteemed global conference”, Dr. Ngoepe reflected. “It was also an honour to represent UP on an international stage.”

This recognition on an international platform reinforces the status of the UP Law as the top law faculty in Africa and highlights the global impact of its scholars. The IACL conference brought together legal academics, practitioners, and policy experts from around the world to reflect on current challenges in consumer law, and the UP Law delegation stood out for both the relevance and depth of their contribution.

“The collaboration between Dr Mahleza and Dr Ngoepe represents the best of UP Law: rigorous, engaged, and transformative legal research,” said Professor Charles Maimela, Acting Dean of the Faculty of Law. “We are proud of their achievement and inspired by the example they set for young academics across the continent.”

As two emerging female voices in legal academia, their success also signals a shift toward greater representation, interdisciplinarity, and innovation in global legal discourse. Their work stands as a testament to the excellence fostered at UP Law and the far-reaching influence of its researchers on the field.