Black Sash launches SashChat – a multilingual assistant that puts rights advice within reach, day or night

On 12 August, Black Sash launched SashChat Online Assistant, a free multilingual chatbot designed to help members of the public access information, advice and referrals to the rights and services they are entitled to. The launch – marked by a virtual demonstration of the chatbot – brought together partners, community members and government representatives to show how the tool works and why it was developed.

Since going live on 2 June 2026, SashChat has resolved 99.5% of 374 tickets logged, and users have rated the service 4.7 out of 5.

The Black Sash Helpline was established more than 15 years ago with a clear mandate: provide information, advice and referrals efficiently, and empower people to understand their rights and access entitled services. In 2018 the organisation extended the Helpline to WhatsApp, reflecting its commitment to accessibility and to using the platforms people already use.

WhatsApp brought both benefits and challenges. By 2023 paralegals were fielding up to 100 messages per day, with a large share of queries arriving after hours. Simple, quick questions were getting mixed in with complex cases that require a paralegal’s judgement.

SashChat was built to close that gap without closing the door on the people it serves. The chatbot is trained on Black Sash’s materials, legislation and other trusted resources, so the information it provides is accurate and credible. As a multilingual platform, it allows clients to communicate in the language of their choice – including South Africa’s official languages, plus Swahili, French and Shona.

The chatbot is not limited to text: it can listen to voice notes, read images and scan documents where necessary, meeting people where they already communicate rather than asking them to adapt to a new tool. Available 24/7, SashChat means access to rights information is no longer limited to office hours.

This does not replace the Black Sash Helpline that has supported advice offices for decades. Where digital access is not possible – because of cost, connectivity or lack of a smartphone – the Helpline remains available in the ways it always has. Representatives from the Department of Social Development who joined the launch noted that a tool like this can help people check their grant status and understand requirements directly, reducing unnecessary back-and-forth that slows the system down for everyone.

At its centre, SashChat is a resource for the community: accurate, reliable and easy to use, built so people do not have to wait for working hours or navigate a complicated system to get a straightforward answer about their rights.

Watch the explainer video to see SashChat in action: https://youtu.be/AC0RcTF-K_A
Watch the full launch webinar recording: https://youtu.be/9fhl7biUBPo

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