Tanzanian Legal-Tech Platform Makes Legal Services More Accessible

In Tanzania, where cost, distance and language can place legal assistance out of reach, Sheria Kiganjani is turning the mobile phone into a gateway to justice. Co-founded in 2018 by lawyer and CEO Neema Magimba alongside five other founders, the legal-tech platform enables Tanzanians to obtain legal information, consult qualified lawyers, review documents and connect with nearby advocates without relying on an in-person law office.

Meaning “law in your palm,” Sheria Kiganjani uses mobile apps, web services, SMS and interactive voice technology to reach both smartphone and feature-phone users.

Its value proposition is particularly powerful for low- and middle-income Tanzanians: affordable legal support delivered remotely, alongside simplified Swahili information covering issues such as land, employment, inheritance, marriage and human rights. This reduces the financial, geographic and language barriers that often prevent people from understanding or defending their rights.

The platform has grown from reaching just over 8,000 people within its first six months to making a nationwide impact. In 2024, Sheria Kiganjani reported reaching 1.3 million beneficiaries, responding to more than 11,000 legal inquiries, referring 654 people to regional advocates and engaging nearly 100,000 mobile users; it reached another 1.15 million Tanzanians in 2025.

Its work has earned the African Legal Award for Best Use of Technology in 2019, 2023 and 2024, a 2023 World Summit Award for Inclusion and Empowerment and the Segal Family Foundation’s 2023 System Innovator Award, while Magimba received the 2023 Andrew E. Rice Award for leadership and innovation in international development.