Estate planning in South Africa: Essential questions answered
Estate planning is a critical part of financial planning, yet it often gets overlooked. This process involves drafting a will, assigning assets to beneficiaries, and understanding how a deceased estate will be administered. To shed light on this topic, here are answers to some frequently asked questions about estate planning that might assist in helping […]
New regulations on compulsory submission of beneficial ownership on all trusts
As part of South Africa’s efforts to combat the country’s grey-listing status, The General Laws (Anti Money Laundering and Combating Terrorism Funding) Amendment Act that was passed in December 2022, has been fast tracked and became effective as from 1 April 2023. These amendments introduced a new definition of a ‘beneficial owner’ into the Trust […]
Private use of groundwater resources in the Cape Town Metropole: How is it regulated?
This article will provide a brief overview of how the abstraction and usage of groundwater resources are regulated, with specific reference to the Cape Town Metropole which has made headlines over the past few years for being one of the first big metropoles in the world to almost run out of this valuable resource. The […]
Corporate governance – Dividends
A dividend is the distribution of a reward from a portion of the company’s earnings and is paid to a class of its shareholders. Dividends are decided and managed by the company’s board of directors, though they must be approved by the shareholders through their voting rights. Dividends can be issued as cash payments, as […]
Suretyship agreements: What are they and what are the requirements
A deed of suretyship is an agreement that is concluded by a creditor and a third party. The essentialia of this type of agreement are that the surety (third party) undertakes to be liable to the creditor for the due performance by the debtor of his or her obligations in terms of the principal debt. […]
Deceased’s will declared invalid, despite clear wishes
The Wills Act sets out the requirements for a valid Last Will and Testament. For a will to be valid, it must be signed and witnessed. What happens if the wishes of the deceased are clear, but the document does not meet the requirements of a valid will? This was the heart of the matter […]
Must employees disclose their vaccination status?
While employers cannot force their employees to be vaccinated, there are various grounds for dismissing employees who object, provided that the employer has conducted a thorough risk assessment to determine the need for vaccination. They also need to provide every possible reasonable solution to accommodate them. One of the grounds on which an employer can let go of an employee who refuses the jab is the refusal of […]