04 February 2005
	SIDELINES CERTAINTY IN TRADITION

The payment of lobola is an African custom that goes back many generations. It is seen as a token of appreciation, given by a husband-to-be to his fiancée's family to thank them for bringing up their daughter. As society has urbanised, traditional customs have changed. More often than not the gift is cash, not cattle, and negotiations are more complex. Families do not know each other; mutual trust is not a given and the value placed on the bride is not easily agreed upon. Added to this, divorce is more common. To smooth this process, a company called African Innovation has developed a solution. The lobola or magadi contract is a legally binding document that formalises the negotiations and sets out procedures in the event of death or divorce. Both families have copies of the documentation, showing what was requested for lobola, what has been paid and what is outstanding. Founder Mpho Lebogo, a banker by profession, heads the Johannesburg-based company. "Families entering into a traditional lobola marriage do so without a guiding hand to help them through the contractual process," says Lebogo. "It's about restoring our culture and this basic tool is revitalising the tradition of lobola." In addition to providing the contract, Lebogo guides and advises clients through the process. He also helps to arrange additional traditional practices such as the exchanging of special blankets.