News and Commentary
Sick Notes in South African Workplaces: Clear Rules, Fair Processes
By Paula Phukuje | Associate South African law treats sick leave and medical certificates as part of a balanced system. The Basic Conditions of Employment Act, 1997 (BCEA) gives employees paid time...
What Black Coffee’s Divorce teaches about Customary Marriages
By Sihle Mayedwa | Senior Associate A recent High Court decision arising from the high-profile Black Coffee divorce has clarified core principles that matter far beyond celebrity headlines. It...
Buying property in South Africa while living abroad: How Exchange Control shapes your Mortgage
By Sarah Nordien | Associate Director If you are living outside South Africa and buying a home here, your bond (mortgage / home loan) will almost always include exchange control conditions. The bank...
Parental Leave Rewritten by the Constitutional Court: What Employers Must Do Now
By Ali Sonday | Senior Associate and Paula Phukuje | Associate The Constitutional Court has confirmed that South Africa’s parental-leave regime in the BCEA unfairly discriminated between different...
When the SIU Comes Calling | State Capture Investigations
By Zaeem Soofie | Director
WhatsApp in Court: When your Chats become your Best (or Worst) Evidence
By David Short | Director A recent Western Cape High Court judgment (Gerritsen Trading CC t/a Gerritsen Drilling SA v Blydskap Holdings (Pty) Ltd (2024/146798)...
A Legal Perspective on Player-Club Disputes: Lucas Ribeiro vs Mamelodi Sundowns FC
By Lesedi Mphahlele | Director and Sello Ramanyana | Candidate Attorney A high profile tug-of-war between Lucas Ribeiro and Mamelodi Sundowns FC has pushed a perennial question back to...
Sexual Harassment: Why Employers Should Follow Chief Justice Maya’s Lead and Create Robust Policies
By Paula Phukuje | Assocate In a landmark move this Women’s Month, Chief Justice Mandisa Maya introduced a comprehensive Sexual Harassment Policy for the Judiciary, a powerful reminder that...
What South African Landlords Should Know About “Unit-Hopping” Tenants and Withheld Rent
By Celani Mchunu | Associate When the Lease goes Sideways In a textbook example of how quickly a straightforward lease can unravel – a client’s tenant has taken it upon herself to occupy a different...
Costs Involved in the Conveyancing Process
By Sarah Nordien | Associate Director Buying or selling a property in South Africa is not just about signing a contract, it is a legal and financial journey that involves a range of professionals,...
Guide: How to Register a South African Company and Your Initial Obligations
By Marcus Schaefer | Associate Director Whether you are a local entrepreneur or a foreign investor, establishing a business in South Africa requires strategic planning and legal compliance from the...
How Anton Piller Orders Rescue Your Data Before It Disappears
By Jodi Poswelletski | Director Imagine discovering that an ex-employee has copied your client database and is already trading on it. In minutes they can encrypt, delete or dump that data offshore....
Fifty Cents, Zero Trust: How a Trivial Shortfall Cost a Teller her Job
By David Short | Director & Zethembe Manukuza | Candidate Attorney Khumalo v CCMA & Others (Labour Court, JR 2680/22, 25 June 2025) When Standard Bank teller Nomfundo Khumalo returned from...
Words have Power: When Unfounded Allegations Sink Reinstatement
By David Short | Director A 360° View for Employers The Labour Appeal Court’s judgment in Golden Arrow Bus Services (Pty) Ltd v Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration & Others...
Not so Fast: When Retrenchment Goes Off the Wall
By David Short | Director & Zethembe Manukuza | Candidate Attorney The Labour Court’s decision in Watson Kelemogile Lekalake v EOH Mthombo (Pty) Ltd is a textbook warning: a Section 189 process...
Client Alert: How One Missed Step Sank a Whistle-Blower Dispute
By Ali Sonday | Senior Associate Lessons from Truworths Ltd v Peter (Labour Appeal Court, 05 June 2025) The Labour Appeal Court (LAC) has overturned a Labour Court (LC) decision because the employee...
No Quick Fix: When Strikes Become Violent
By David Short | Director & Zethembe Manukuza | Candidate Attorney SA Container Depots (Pty) Ltd t/a Bidvest SACD v Sheriff Durban Coastal – why violent strikes still enjoy protection. Earlier...
Rental Growth Hits a Seven-Year High
By Sarah Nordien | Associate Director What It Means For Investors, And How Our Conveyancers Keep The Deal On Track The first PayProp Rental Index of 2025 has confirmed what many landlords suspected...
Isn’t a Longer Notice Period Enough to Avoid Paying Penalties when you end a Lease Early?
By Tania Abbots | Director When it comes to residential leases, the “right” answer matters less than understanding why the answer is what it is. Below is a concise guide to the legal framework,...
Deeds Office Process- Cape Town
By Sarah Nordien |Associate Director At the Deeds Office your documents face three layers of scrutiny; one mis-filed page halts registration. We keep your file tight and ready so it sails through...
Transfer Process
By Sarah Nordien | Associate Director Signing the offer to purchase is only the starting gun. From that moment our transfer team aligns every clearance certificate, payment, and signature so...
Bond Cancellation Process
By Sarah Nordien | Associate Director Settling the balance is not the finish line; the bond must be cancelled before you transfer or refinance. We handle notice, figures, and lodgement so the...
Bond Registration Process
By Sarah Nordien | Associate Director Home-loan funds flow only after the bond is registered. Our bond team synchronises loan conditions, guarantees, and lodgement so money reaches the seller on...
Commentary: South Africa’s Energy Transition
By Zaeem Soofie | Director Powering ahead after the U.S. 'Pulls the Plug' on the Just Energy Transition Plan In his first 100 days in office, U.S. President Donald Trump made several globally...