South Africa: Retirement, Superannuation & Pensions

National Treasury has proposed a centralised framework for administering South Africa's estimated R88 billion in unclaimed financial assets, including retirement benefits. The discussion paper outlines a system where a central administrator would manage tracing, record-keeping and claims through a single public portal, with assets potentially transferred to the Corporation for Public Deposits.

Mr Carl Francois Conradie (“Mr Conradie”) had been employed from 01 January 1993 until he retired on 31 January 2022. During his employment, he belonged to his employer’s pension fund, and monthly contributions were deducted from his salary. In August 2013, Mr Conradie transferred from his employer’s pension fund to join Fundsatwork Umbrella Pension Fund (the fund”).

A South African court examined whether an employer could recover over R2.5 million in salary payments from a former employee's pension fund, alleging he failed to work for nearly three years. The case tested the limits of statutory protections for retirement benefits and the evidentiary burden employers must meet when seeking to access pension funds under section 37D of the Pension Funds Act.

On 25 March 2025, the Financial Services Tribunal handed down a crucial decision in Auto Workers Provident Fund v Thulani Nyalungu & Others...

The recognition of factual dependency plays a crucial role in pension fund law, particularly in the allocation of death benefits under Section 37C of the Pension Funds Act ("the PFA").

When employers inappropriately impose the normal retirement age of 65. Slabbert v Muji Motor Group (Pty) Ltd (2024) 45 ILJ 2817 (LC)The above matter came before the Labour Court as an automatically unfair dismissal.

Below, please find issue 116 of ENS' tax in brief, a snapshot of the latest tax developments in South Africa.

Enoch Godongwana, Minister of Finance delivered his budget speech on 21 February, and his opening remark reaffirmed what all South Africans are so acutely aware of – South Africa...

Cohabitation relationships refer to the act of living together with someone in an intimate and committed relationship without being married or in a civil partnership.