KwaZulu-Natal is a very popular tourist destination, with its beautiful beaches, forests and grasslands, but it is also home to more than 10 million ordinary South Africans, trying to make a living.

Steel production, coal mining, forestry and sugar cane plantations are some of the economic activities practised in this province. As in all work situations, the need sometimes arises for human rights, legal or socio-economic advice and assistance.

Community advice offices (CAOs) offer free legal advice to marginalised communities. People in KwaZulu-Natal often go to CAOs to seek help with labour matters related to dismissals, unemployment insurance, injuries at work, state and private pensions, retirement benefits, etc. Giving someone access to justice, in many of these cases, lies in simple but essential tasks, such as helping them to fill in forms and write letters and directing them on how to proceed with claims.

Community advice offices in the province also offer assistance with issues relating to domestic violence and social grants. And in KwaZulu-Natal, which has the highest HIV infection rate in the country, CAOs play an important role in informing people about their rights in relation to HIV and AIDS.

The CAOs are supported in their task by many organisations, that recognise their importance in providing access to justice. Some of these, such as the Community Law and Rural Development Centre (CLRDC), Centre for Criminal Justice (CCJ) and Ithembalabantu have in the past been actively involved in the management of community advice offices.

While community advice offices in KwaZulu-Natal are becoming independent organisations in line with the vision for the sector to become organised, institutionalised and regulated, civil society organisations still play a supporting role in the broad platform of the Access to Justice Forum.

Community advice offices in KwaZulu-Natal are represented on provincial level by the KwaZulu-Natal Advice Office Association through the offices of CLRDC, CCJ and Ithembalabantu, but will soon have an independent structure, which will be affiliated to Nadcao on a national level.