The Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) has called on accountable institutions specified in Directive 11 of 2026 to submit their risk and compliance returns (RCRs).
The Directive applies to accountable institutions listed in the following items of Schedule 1 to the Financial Intelligence Centre Act (FICA):
- Item 1 – Legal practitioners
- Item 2 – Trust and company service providers
- Item 3 – Estate agents
- Item 9 – Gambling institutions
- Item 11 – Credit providers (excluding banks, mutual banks, and co-operative banks acting as credit providers)
- Item 14 – South African Postbank Limited
- Item 20 – Dealers in high-value goods
- Item 21 – South African Mint Company (limited scope)
- Item 22 – Crypto asset service providers
The RCR covers three separate reporting years, from 2023 to 2026, and relates to the accountable institutions’ understanding of their money laundering, terrorist financing, and proliferation financing risks, and risk-based control measures they have implemented.
The online platform for the submission of RCRs opened on 5 May, the FIC said in a notice.
The RCRs can be submitted only on the platform. Manual submissions will not be accepted.
Accountable institutions can find more information about the RCR on the FIC’s website.
The FIC encouraged the specified institutions to:
- Download and study the sample composite and sector-specific questionnaires to gain an understanding of the information that must be gathered for each reporting year or period.
- Consult Draft Public Compliance Communication 125, which provides practical guidance on how to submit the RCR.
The deadline for submitting the RCR is Tuesday, 30 June 2026, or Friday, 31 July 2026, depending on the specified category of business – please refer to the table below.
The specified accountable institutions should regularly visit their goAML message board, preferably daily, to check for critical messages and updates from the FIC on the 2026 RCR and any other information.
Failure to comply Directive 11 and submit the RCR constitutes non-compliance with FICA and may result in administrative sanctions under section 62E of the Act.
