Are you a foreign buyer or non-resident looking to purchase property in South Africa? While our firm specializes in transfers of properties to local buyers in South Africa, we also have a vast number of foreign clients purchasing property, whom we advice on a continuous basis. Our aim with this article is to…
“Cheops’ Law: Nothing ever gets built on schedule or within budget” (Robert A. Heinlein) Hopefully you won’t have to wait 20 years for your new dream home to be built – that’s how long Cheops (ancient Egyptian pharaoh) had to hang around twiddling his thumbs whilst his Great Pyramid of Giza was going up –…
There’s still a lot of confusion as to whether dagga (cannabis) remains an illegal drug in South Africa, fuelled in part by conflicting media reports. Here’s where we stand – It remains in general illegal to cultivate, possess, supply or use cannabis “without the necessary authorisation from the Department of Health” (see below). “Medicinal” cannabis…
A recent Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) decision illustrates once again how essential it is, before getting married, to have your lawyer structure your antenuptial contract (ANC) correctly, and with as much detail as is needed for certainty. A multi-million Rand fight over trust assets A divorcing couple had married and divorced three times. They…
“The secret of getting ahead is getting started” (Mark Twain) That’s great advice from Mark Twain, so if you are sure that you are cut out for the exciting, hurly-burly life of an entrepreneur, and if you have a viable business concept, take advice now on how to get started. In our previous article in…
“Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food.” (‘Father of Modern Medicine’ Hippocrates in about 400 BC) Don’t let colds and the flu knock you for a six this winter. Particularly if you run your own small business, every day in a sick bed is a day of opportunity lost forever! “The…
When entering into a contract for the acquisition of immovable property, and where such an agreement is subject to the Purchaser/s obtaining bond finance, Purchasers must be aware that they have an obligation to apply for such bond and provide the financial institution with all required documents to set the approval in motion. In the…
The legislation governing the Sectional Title Industry has recently been updated. Parts of the old Sectional Title Act 95 of 1986 are still in force, but two new acts were promulgated on 7 October 2016, namely the Sectional Title Schemes Management Act (STSMA) and the Community Services Ombuds Service…
Where immovable property is being disposed of, it is the registered owner’s responsibility to furnish the new owner/s with all compliance certificates as required by law. Some of them (electrical certificates, electrical fence certificates) are required under national regulations; some (water certificates) under municipal by-laws; and some (beetle…
Owners of immovable property should be aware when granting a mandate to rental/selling agents to find suitable tenants for their properties. Most estate and rental agencies include clauses in their standard lease agreements providing that in the event of the owner and tenant concluding a sale agreement after the expiry of the lease, the agency…