Bowman Gilfillan, the pan-African corporate law firm, on Friday celebrated a 10-year partnership with the Tertiary School in Business Administration (TSiBA) - a private, not for profit business school that provides emerging leaders an opportunity to study quality, accredited academic courses that are focused on developing entrepreneurship and leadership.

Founded in 2004 with a vision to “Ignite Opportunity” for South Africa’s under-served youth, TSiBA’s mission is to be an innovative learning community that graduates entrepreneurial leaders.

Bowman Gilfillan has rendered legal services to TSiBA on a pro bono basis since inception.

Adri Marais, CEO and TSiBA co-founder, commented: “Since 2004, TSiBA has offered around 1 200 tuition scholarships for learners to pursue a bachelor’s degree in entrepreneurial leadership. We’ve achieved a 50% throughput rate and 95% of our graduates are either employed, pursuing post-graduate studies are running their own businesses.

“Bowman Gilfillan has been with us every step of the way, and has offered tremendous support to TSiBA through pro bono legal advice, as well as staff engagement in tutoring and lecturing.”

Fatima Laher, Pro Bono Manager at Bowman Gilfillan, explained that the relationship began when the firm’s chairman, Jonathan Schlosberg, enlisted Bowman Gilfillan’s assistance to help TSiBA establish itself as an independent tertiary institution.

“Bowman Gilfillan has also provided ad hoc assistance on legal matters pertaining to TSiBA’s on-going operations. We’re proud that the pro bono support provided over the last 10 years has generated savings of some R1m, which has enabled over 30 learners from disadvantaged communities to receive full-tuition scholarships to study at TSiBA,”

Registered and accredited with the Department of Education as a private higher education institution, TSiBA currently has an urban campus in Pinelands, Cape Town and a rural campus, TSIBA Eden, in the town of Karatara, near Knysna.

TSiBA’s aim is to provide excellent business education for people with a social conscience who have the desire and the skills to build our nation. For this reason, TSiBA does not require its students to pay back their scholarships, but rather to “pay it forward”.