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
You can’t have it both ways: Contractors who act like businesses must live with the consequences
by Bradley Workman-Davies, Director When you run your work as a business, invoice for your services, and elect to [...]
New Code of Good Practice: Dismissal
by Anastasia Vatalidis, Director and Anna Tchalov, Associate On 4 September 2025, the new Code of Good Practice: Dismissal ("New Code") [...]
Balancing union duties and job performance: Association of Mineworkers & Construction Union obo Ntuli v Ferroglobe Silicon Smelters (Pty) Ltd
by Jacques van Wyk, Director and Mike Searle, Candidate Attorney In the construction and engineering sectors, senior employees often [...]
The slippery slope of financial distress
by Eric Levenstein, Director and Head of Insolvency and Business Rescue and Brendan Olivier, Director Negative economic news stories [...]
Reinstatement – not always fair
by Bradley Workman-Davies, Director South Africa’s labour law often elevates reinstatement as the primary remedy for unfair dismissal, but [...]
National Minimum Wage Act: What employers need to know about the 2026 review
by Andre van Heerden, Director, Bradley Workman-Davies, Director and Jacques van Wyk, Director South Africa’s National Minimum Wage Act [...]
