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
Bid rigging vs price fixing: Clarification on when you will be deemed to have exited a cartel
Understanding what is exactly required to demonstrate that a company has distanced itself from a cartel is undoubtedly of great [...]
When must your medical scheme pay for treatment?
by Helen Michael, Director and, Raisah Mahomed, Candidate Attorney On 26 August 2022, the High Court in Pretoria handed down [...]
Not every crime is a cybercrime – The dichotomy of cyber-enabled crimes and cybercrimes
The global adoption of digital technology is rapidly increasing, which increase has caused an evolution in criminal behaviour resulting in [...]
Breaking set stone – exceptional circumstances and the variation of Competition orders
by Ahmore Burger-Smidt, Director and Head of Data Privacy and Cybercrime Practice and member of the Competition Law Practice, and [...]
The Constitutional Court has tightened the noose on the doctrine of common purpose.
by Sandile July, Director, Sandile Tom, Director and, Benedict Ngobeni, Candidate Attorney Doctrine of common purpose The principles underpinning the [...]
Illegal mining, the ‘zama zamas’ and the Law
Illegal mining is a critical challenge in the South African mining and minerals industry. The South African government previously recognised [...]
