Legal updates and opinions
Post Author
News / News
Governance Reforms for Listed Companies
by Kevin Trudgeon, Director and Helena Stoop, Senior Knowledge Lawyer
Listed companies in South Africa are facing a rapidly changing governance landscape. Three key instruments namely, the revised JSE Listings Requirements which took effect on 16 February 2026, the King V Code of Corporate Governance launched in October 2025, and amendments to the Companies Act promulgated in 2024 shape the regulatory framework under which boards must operate.
Although these three instruments address similar key aspects of corporate governance, they differ in purpose, scope and enforceability. This note offers an overview of governance obligations arising under the Companies Act, the JSE Listings Requirements, and King V. It highlights both points of alignment and areas of divergence, with particular focus on board composition, director independence, nomination and election processes, the roles of key officers, and the structure and functioning of board committees.
Each topic is discussed in light of recent developments, and the analysis is complemented by a comparative table that consolidates the requirements currently applicable to listed companies in South Africa.
Download the comparative guide here.
Latest News
Enhancing Innovation, Technologically
Continuing Werksmans' multi-disciplinary approach in providing our clients with innovative approaches that go beyond the law into wider, business [...]
The proper interpretation of conflicting provisions in the Income Tax Act
and Luke Magerman, Candidate Attorney A recent tax court judgment added valuable jurisprudence to the often-litigated issue of the interpretation [...]
What is the relevance of s 52 of the MPRDA on retrenchments in terms of section 189 and 189A in the mining industry?
In National Union of Mineworkers v Anglo American Platinum Ltd & others (Amplats), on 15 January 2013, Amplats had [...]
Mining terminology: the difference between “accepted”, “granted” “executed” and “registered”
Four of the most common words that one hears in conjunction with mining rights, prospecting rights are "accepted", "granted", [...]
Worried about the new EE Amendments? Progressive implementation of numerical targets is possible!
On 12 April 2023 the President signed the Employment Equity (EE) Amendment Bill, 2020 into law. The Act is [...]
An employer’s right to use replacement labour where a lockout has been instituted
and Nyeleti Baloyi, Candidate Attorney On 18 April 2023, the Constitutional Court delivered a judgment on the interpretation of section 76(1)(b) of [...]
