GAAR assessments cannot be rewritten in litigation, SCA rules
SARS cannot fundamentally alter the factual basis or remedy of an assessment issued under the general anti-avoidance rule provisions through a Rule 31 statement.
Author: Moonstone Information Refinery
Investors pull R16.5bn from local equity funds despite 42% ALSI rally
Multi-asset and interest-bearing portfolios dominated inflows in 2025 as South African investors continued to favour diversification.
Labour law overhaul signals shake-up of dismissal, retrenchment, and gig-work rules
The Bill proposes major changes to dismissal procedures, severance pay, and protections for gig and on-call workers, while tightening the enforcement of retirement fund contributions.
New CPD courses tackle crypto advice and real-world ombud lessons
MBSE launches two practical CPD programmes to help advisers meet crypto compliance requirements and learn from ombud rulings shaping the financial services industry.
Retail hedge funds overtake qualified investor funds as industry hits R216bn
Retail investors are increasingly shaping South Africa’s hedge fund industry, driving inflows and pushing retail portfolios into the lead for the first time.
Amendment Bill reshapes parental leave and UIF benefits
The draft Bill converts the Constitutional Court’s interim remedy into law, creating a single, shared parental leave entitlement and widening rights for adoptive parents.
PI policy: High Court rules against broker in Covid-related claim
The judge finds that a policy operating on a claims-made basis responded according to when the claim was made, not when the alleged negligence occurred.
Applying excess retirement contributions: implications for lump sums, annuities, and estates
Allan Gray’s Carla Rossouw clarifies excess contributions in relation to deduction limits, annuity income taxation, and the treatment of benefits at death.
Appeal court leaves FAIS debarment ruling intact
The Full Bench finds that the information available to the FSP was sufficient to justify initiating the statutory debarment process.
Judge upholds decision over electronically signed will
The High Court refuses leave to appeal a ruling directing the Master to accept an electronically signed document as the will of the late Justice Yvonne Mokgoro.
New POPIA regulations on health information now in force
The Information Regulator clarifies how organisations such as insurers, pension funds, and employers must process and protect health information.
High Court: Minister’s power to set VAT rate is unconstitutional
The declaration of invalidity was suspended for 24 months and referred to the Constitutional Court for confirmation.
Passenger who pulled handbrake held to be ‘driver’ for RAF claim
The High Court finds that seizing a vehicle’s controls can make a passenger the legal driver under the RAF Act.
Santam underwriting surge lifts profitability well above targets
Lower weather-related claims and disciplined pricing helped lift underwriting profitability in 2025, pushing margins above the insurer’s long-term target range.
Discovery posts strong interim results as bank turns profitable
Discovery Bank reports a 28% growth in clients, with nearly 70% of new customers coming from outside the group’s existing membership.
Global Vitality businesses gain momentum as AI platform moves into deployment
Stronger UK results, continued growth in China, and the rollout of a new AI-enabled Vitality platform lifted Discovery’s global operating profit.
CARF expands SARS’s visibility over crypto transactions, says PwC
The new reporting regime, effective from 1 March, increases the information available to SARS through third-party reporting and international data exchange.
