Michel Nkansah is a Product Manager of Ghana’s most successful legal tech product, DennisLaw.

DennisLaw is an AI-assisted legal research tool that provides law firms, law students, and law students access to comprehensive case law materials from 1959 to date to make legal research easier and faster.

Michel Nkansah also doubles as the Product Manager of Justice Locator, the first mobile application built within sub-Saharan Africa to help lawyers manage their court diary and help people get access to justice.

In this interview, Nkansah shares his insights on how to build a successful legal tech product in Africa.

Q: What are the key challenges of building a legal tech product in Africa?

A: There are several challenges to building a legal tech product in Africa. One of the key challenges is the lack of data. There is not as much data available in Africa as there is in other parts of the world, which can make it difficult to train AI models.

Second, there is a lack of awareness of legal tech in Africa. Many businesses and law firms are not aware of the benefits of legal tech, and they may be hesitant to adopt new technologies in their law firms and legal departments.

Q: How can these challenges be overcome?

A: I have emphasised across various workshops that building a legal tech product in Africa is not a straightforward process. There are several ways to overcome the challenges of building a legal tech product in Africa.

One way is to partner with local businesses and organizations. This can help to mitigate the challenges of infrastructure and data.

Another way to overcome these challenges is to focus on low-cost, low-bandwidth solutions. This will make legal tech products more accessible to businesses and law firms in Africa.

Finally, it is important to educate businesses and law firms about the benefits of legal tech. This can be done through workshops, webinars, and other outreach programmes.

Q: What are the key factors for success in the African legal tech market?

A: There are a number of key factors for success in the African legal tech market. These include providing affordable and accessible solutions. Legal tech products need to be affordable and accessible to businesses and law firms in Africa.

Building a strong network of partners. Legal tech startups need to build a strong network of partners to succeed. This includes partners who can provide infrastructure, data, and marketing support.

Educating the market about the benefits of legal tech. It is important to educate businesses and law firms about the benefits of legal tech. This will help to create demand for legal tech products.

Q: What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs who are interested in building a legal tech product in Africa?

A: My advice to other entrepreneurs who are interested in building a legal tech product in Africa is to do your research. Make sure you understand the challenges and opportunities of the African legal tech market before you start building a product.

Focus on the needs of the market. Make sure your product is designed to meet the specific needs of legal professionals and law firms in Africa. Don't expect to become an overnight success. It takes time to ship out a good minimum viable product.

Michel Nkansah is a great example of a product manager that has led innovation from ideation to product market fits within the legal tech industry.  His advice is valuable for anyone interested in doing the same.