Legal updates and opinions
News / News
King V: South Africa’s Governance Evolution
by Eric Levenstein, Director and Head of Insolvency & Business Rescue and Helena Stoop, Senior Knowledge Lawyer
The official King V was launched on 31 October 2025. The project was spearheaded by the Institute of Directors in Southern Africa NPC (IoDSA) in its capacity as Secretariat for the King Committee and custodian of the King Reports on corporate governance in South Africa. It replaces the previous edition (‘King IV’) and will be effective for financial years beginning on or after 1 January 2026.
The fifth edition of the Code (‘King V’) follows the trend of previous editions and sets out the philosophy, principles, practices and outcomes which serve as the benchmark for corporate governance in South Africa. It was drafted to address both national and global developments, improve accessibility for all types of organisations, and promote the ongoing evolution of governance outcomes. Werksmans provides a bespoke and summarised overview of key components relevant to King V.
Download the King V Overview here.
Latest News
Making South Africa home?
by Doelie Lessing, Director and Head of Tax and Private Wealth, Luke Magerman, Senior Associate and Mike Searle, Candidate Attorney [...]
Trust regulation to be overhauled
by Ernest Mazansky, Director, Werksmans Tax (Proprietary) Limited Introduction On 7 August 2026 a draft Bill, the Regulation of Trusts Bill, 2026 [...]
South Africa’s crypto crackdown: Draft Manual brings cross-border crypto asset transactions under exchange control
by Natalie Scott, Director and Head of Sustainability The South African Reserve Bank ("SARB") and National Treasury published the draft [...]
Transnet N1 Culemborg Eviction
By Brendan Olivier, Director and Kristen Elliott, Senior Associate The Western Cape High Court has ordered the eviction of over [...]
A brief overview of the Small Claims Court (2026 update)
by Dakalo Singo, Director and Head of Pro Bono What is the Small Claims Court? The Small Claims Court ("SCC") [...]
Success of the South African Business Rescue Process – Positive news for the restructuring of distressed companies
by Dr. Eric Levenstein, Director and Head of Insolvency & Business Rescue Dr Eric Levenstein unpacks the legal significance of recent [...]
