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
Private equity exits: Will the new Competition Commission merger guidelines stifle or encourage investment appetite?
Reviewed by Dominique Arteiro, from a Competition Law perspective, Director. In any private equity investment life cycle, the exit environment [...]
Sub- contract agreements vs the letting of mining rights
It is the ordinary course of business for South African mining right holders ("MRH") to contract with third party service [...]
National Treasury sees the light regarding foreign employers
The latest feedback received from National Treasury regarding the proposal to require foreign employers to register for employees' tax (Pay-As-You-Earn) [...]
Delegation of authority in the context of corporate governance
Delegation of authority is an important element of effective corporate governance for companies. It involves the process of the board [...]
Parenting is a job for two: The High Court declares the provisions relating to parental leave unconstitutional
and Anna Tchalov, Candidate Attorney In the matter of Van Wyk and Others v The Minister of Employment and Labour [...]
Religious freedom and operational requirements: which one should prevail?
and Nombulelo Bashe, Candidate Attorney Culture is the sum total of the beliefs and traditions of a particular society and [...]
