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
The FSCA declares crypto assets as financial products
by Kyra South, Senior associate, and Janice Geel, Candidate Attorney Reviewed by Natalie Scott, Director in Banking and Finance and [...]
Information Exchange and Collusion: Revised (and Trimmed) Draft Guidelines
by Rudolph Raath, Director and Mmamoloko Buthane, Candidate Attorney On 23 September 2022 the Competition Commission of South Africa (Commission) [...]
A reminder to employers: Duties in relation to recovering funds misappropriated by employees
by Jacques Van Wyk, Director, Nasheetah Smith, Senior Associate, and Danelle Plaatjies, Candidate Attorney When employees are found guilty of [...]
Reinstatement as a primary remedy
By Jacques Van Wyk, Director, Michiel Heyns, Senior Associate and, Kelly Sease, Candidate Attorney Summary This case reiterated the principle [...]
Private Public Partnerships and the inescapable ties of Section 217
by Sarah Moerane, Director and, Koketso Rapoo, Candidate Attorney "contracts for goods and services" - A phrase that, on the [...]
The applicability of Rule 46A to juristic persons and trusts: Have we been getting it wrong all along? Yes- says the SCA
by Tandiwe Matshebela, Director, Neo Kgame, Senior Associate and, Zoe Austen, Candidate Attorney Since Rule 46A of the Uniform Rules [...]
