Blog

In the thick of the COVID-19 outbreak around the world, the President of the Republic of South Africa has resolved to impose strict travel restrictions between South Africa and high risk countries affected by the coronavirus, namely, Italy, Iran, South Korea, Germany, the United States, the United Kingdom and China. With respect to the imposedRead more

Will the main provisions of POPIA (the Protection of Personal Information Act) really commence on 1 April 2020 as media reports suggest, or is this just another case of Crying Wolf? This time it seems it may be the real thing, with the Information Regulator having formally requested the President to declare the commencement date.Read more

“Engage brain before hitting send” (Anon) WhatsApp comes with a host of business and personal benefits, and its use is growing exponentially here as in the rest of the world. Which brings us to a possible downside – binding yourself to a legally-enforceable agreement without really meaning to.First principles: Offer + Acceptance = Contract WhatRead more

“To support the property market, the threshold for transfer duties is adjusted” (Finance Minister Tito Mboweni) Transfer Duty Exemption Up Some good news for property sellers and buyers in particular is the increase in the transfer duty exemption to R1m. See the table below for details and note that with all the brackets being adjustedRead more

“It is unquestionable that an owner of land is not permitted to perform activities which contravene the restrictive title conditions or the zoning restrictions” (extract from judgment below) You decide to open a home business, or perhaps you are about to buy a house in order to run a business from it. You apply forRead more

Traffic accidents, your fault or not, are traumatic affairs. Even minor dings come with their hassles – panel beaters, tow trucks, shock and recriminations, reams of paperwork, having to get a Crash Report Number for the insurers… That last bit has always been a major added stress factor, requiring a trip to the local policeRead more

“I always advise people never to give advice” (P. G. Wodehouse) If you want to send shivers down the spine of any investor, mention “Steinhoff”, or “Sharemax”, or any one of the many other spectacular corporate collapses that have plagued both local and overseas investors in recent times. Quite apart from the high-profile failures it’sRead more

“People who say they sleep like a baby usually don’t have one” (Psychologist Leo J Burke) It has taken over a year of confusion and delay around when new changes will be implemented, but finally your extended rights to parental leave and to an Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) claim have fully commenced. Here’s an update/refresherRead more

“Close your eyes – Landlord knocking On the back door” (Jack Kerouac; Northport Haiku) Your residential fixed-term lease expires but for whatever reason you don’t sign a new one. Nor does the lease say anything about what will happen on expiry. Is there still any form of valid lease in place and if so whatRead more

“What’s the only thing divorce proves? Whose mother was right in the first place” (Anon) The festivities are over, the bills are coming in and everyone is returning to reality. Couples who for most of the year only have to live with each other after work hours, have suddenly spent a whole lot more 24/7Read more