#LiveBetter Talks: legal

Mande Ndema and Sibongile Mdyesha are partners in Mdyesha Ndema Attorneys and their talk focused on the contractual aspects of being a star. They emphasised the importance of recognising pivotal elements in any contract, and seeking legal counsel before entering any contractual obligation. 

“A legal contract must have 3 elements: It must be valid, binding and enforceable,” said the attorneys. They highlighted the powers wielded by a record label in terms of royalties, advances and mechanical rights, creating a clear distinction between what a record label should be able to do and the rights of the artist. They also advised that contestants should “reduce every agreement, especially verbal ones, into writing, as this makes the agreement enforceable.”