Mokgoba Grace Mafa-Chali Grace serves as an Acting Judge of the Labour Court in Braamfontein, Johannesburg. She is a distinguished South African legal practitioner, dispute resolution specialist, and jurist based in Polokwane, Limpopo. With a career spanning nearly three decades, she has established herself as one of the most experienced and versatile legal professionals in the country, with expertise cutting across private legal practice, government service, labour dispute resolution, and the judiciary.
Grace holds a B.Proc (1994), LLB (1996) from the University of Limpopo and an LLM withspecialisation in Labour Law (2004). She is also a qualified Assessor, Mentor, and Coach, reflecting her commitment to both professional excellence and the development of others in the field.
Grace commenced her legal career as a Candidate Attorney with Legal Aid South Africa in September 1996, where she was admitted as an Attorney in October 1997. Following her admission, she practiced as an Attorney with Legal Aid South Africa until August 1998. Her career took a significant turn when she joined the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy, where she served as Assistant Director of Mineral Laws from August 1998 to March 2001, before being promoted to Deputy Director of Mineral Laws, a position she held from April 2001 to March 2003. This period gave her a strong grounding in regulatory and public sector law.
In April 2003, Grace joined the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration
(CCMA) as Provincial Registrar for the Limpopo Province — the beginning of what would become an illustrious career in dispute resolution spanning more than two decades.
She was appointed as a Commissioner at the CCMA Limpopo in May 2006, a role she held until September 2013, before being elevated to Provincial Senior Commissioner, a position she occupied from October 2013 to September 2019. In recognition of her outstanding leadership, she was appointed Acting National Senior Commissioner for Operations at the CCMA Head Office in Johannesburg from May to October 2018.Since October 2019, Grace has served as a Part-Time Senior Commissioner at the CCMA, where she continues to contribute her extensive expertise to the resolution of complex labour disputes. Over her career at the CCMA, she has developed deep specialisation in Collective Bargaining, Wages, Retrenchments, Organisational Rights, Demarcations,Essential Services, Employment Equity, and Discrimination matters.
Grace’s reputation as a skilled arbitrator and mediator extends well beyond the CCMA. She currently serves as a Part-Time Senior Panellist for a broad range of accredited Bargaining Councils, including:• South African Road Passenger Bargaining Council (SARPBAC), Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC), Public Health and Social Development Sectoral Bargaining Council (PHSDBC), Metal and Engineering Industries Bargaining Council (MEIBC), General Public Service Sector Bargaining Council (GPSSBC),National Bargaining Council for Wood and Paper Sector (NBCWPS), Motor Industry Bargaining Council (MIBCO), Tokiso Dispute Resolution Private Agency
In May 2021, Grace established her own firm, M G Mafa-Chali Attorneys Incorporated, based in Polokwane, where she serves as Attorney and Director. The firm provides a comprehensive range of legal services encompassing contract law, commercial law, civil law, criminal law, and labour and employment law, serving both individual and corporate clients.
A testament to her exceptional standing in the legal profession, Grace has been serving as an Acting Judge of the Labour Court in Braamfontein, Johannesburg, since June 2024 one of the highest honours that can be conferred upon a legal practitioner in South Africa.
Since October 2025, Grace has served as Chairperson of the Essential Services Committee at the CCMA Head Office in Johannesburg, further cementing her role as a national leader in labour law and dispute resolution.
Beyond her adjudicative roles, Grace is an accomplished CCMA Trainer and Facilitator, with particular expertise in dispute prevention and workplace outreach. She has facilitated and trained extensively in workplace transformation interventions, building workplace relations, managing conflict in the workplace, and effective negotiation skills for employers, trade unions, and advice officers across both the private and public sectors. Legacy and Impact, with more than 22 years of hands-on experience in dispute resolution — encompassing conciliations, mediations, arbitrations, and facilitations — Mokgoba Grace Mafa-Chali stands as a pillar of South Africa’s labour law landscape. Her career reflects a remarkable combination of legal scholarship, public service, institutional leadership, and a deep commitment to justice and fair workplace relations.
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