July 2026
June 2026
30 Jun
AARTO demerit points go live tomorrow; ConCourt reshapes cartel jurisdiction

New AARTO Regulations replace the 2008 framework from 1 July 2026. The Constitutional Court develops extraterritorial competition law in the forex manipulation case.

29 Jun
AARTO demerit points go live 1 July in 60 municipalities; SCA clarifies hospital privilege termination

Two days' notice for the national AARTO roll-out demands immediate fleet and transport client action; SCA holds HPCSA suspension automatically ends admission privileges.

26 Jun
Dairy industry levies and registration commence 1 July — 5 days' notice

Mandatory registration, monthly returns, and escalating statutory levies hit the entire secondary dairy industry from 1 July 2026; SARS customs traveller rules also overhauled.

25 Jun
North West seizes control of four municipalities under s 139(5)(c) intervention

A Provincial Executive Representative assumes sweeping authority over Madibeng, Tswaing, Kgetlengrivier, and Naledi — effective immediately, with power to renegotiate contracts.

24 Jun
ConCourt blocks res judicata creep: settlement orders cannot bind non-parties

Constitutional Court reaffirms strict res judicata requirements and remits NEMA Listed Activities interpretation to the SCA.

23 Jun
Constitutional Court shuts door on VAT zero-rating for recycled gold

Unanimous Lueven Metals ruling confirms second-hand gold cannot be zero-rated under s 11(1)(f), exposing refiners and traders to reassessment risk.

22 Jun
KZN Gaming Tax Bill overhauls rates, levies, and tax base — comment deadline running

KwaZulu-Natal's new Gaming and Betting Tax Bill raises rates unchanged since 2012, taxes freeplay credits, and opens a tight 15-working-day comment window.

19 Jun
28.86% anti-dumping duty on Mozambican steel pipes takes immediate effect

Regulation Gazette 54854 imposes provisional anti-dumping payments, doubles the forex advance threshold, and restructures ITAC-permit duty rebates for appliance manufacturers.

18 Jun
Nothing to report for 18 June 2026

No gazette notices or judgments cleared the materiality threshold today.

17 Jun
Legacy qualifications face final expiry deadlines; High Court condemns B-BBEE fronting

A hard-deadline directive on pre-2009 qualifications demands immediate employer action, while a Mpumalanga judgment declares excluding B-BBEE partners from company information contrary to public policy.

15 Jun
No material legal developments for 15 June 2026

All reviewed gazettes were routine municipal or administrative notices with no actionable regulatory changes.

12 Jun
R100k cash reporting under FICA in 19 days; new steel and PET duties gazetted

Mandatory cash conveyance reporting with criminal sanctions takes effect 1 July 2026. Anti-dumping and safeguard duties hit importers immediately.

11 Jun
Nothing to report for 11 June 2026

Ten documents reviewed — all routine or fact-bound. No material developments for senior commercial practitioners.

10 Jun
Public Procurement Regulations: Comment Deadline Extended to 15 July 2026

National Treasury extends the window for public comment on the Draft General Public Procurement Regulations under the new Public Procurement Act 28 of 2024.

09 Jun
Silent day — no material developments to report

All reviewed documents were routine administrative, procedural, or fact-bound items below the materiality threshold.

08 Jun
New Financial Sector Levy Categories and 30-Day Comment Window Now Open

National Treasury proposes amended supervisory levies for all supervised financial entities, with new categories for CCPs, trade repositories, and CRAs — comments due ~8 July 2026.

05 Jun
FIC Act sections commence; Full Court sharpens s 18(4) urgency standard

New FIC Act compliance obligations take effect for accountable institutions. Limpopo Full Court develops execution-pending-appeal procedure under the Superior Courts Act.

04 Jun
First Indigenous Knowledge Regulations propose 40% turnover penalties and mandatory licensing

Proposed regulations under the Indigenous Knowledge Act create a new commercial licensing regime with severe penalties — comment deadline runs to approximately 4 August 2026.

03 Jun
SARS correction notice widens customs rule from China-specific to Republic-wide scope

A DAR272 correction effective immediately replaces 'from the People's Republic of China' with 'from the Republic' in rule 46A6.17(a) — importers must verify compliance now.

02 Jun
No material legal developments for 2 June 2026

All reviewed gazettes were routine administrative notices below the materiality threshold.

01 Jun
SCA Limits Cooper Equal-Sharing Rule for Trustee Remuneration in Multi-Trustee Estates

The Supreme Court of Appeal clarifies that Tariff B must be split between provisional and final trustees based on services actually rendered.

May 2026
29 May
Appeal security now discretionary — Rule 49(13) rewrites commence 3 July 2026

High Court rule change ends automatic appeal security for costs; Animal Health Regulations open for comment; new 10% customs duty on rails takes immediate effect.

28 May
New SA-China zero-tariff origin rules take retrospective effect from 1 May 2026

Exporters to China must urgently obtain Form SCCO certificates, meet a 40% RVC threshold, and implement 5-year record-keeping — shipments since 1 May are already affected.

27 May
New SMME classification thresholds now in force across all sectors

Section 8 of the National Small Enterprise Amendment Act commences today, resetting employee and turnover thresholds for micro, small and medium enterprises economy-wide.

26 May
Employment Services Amendment Bill headed to Parliament — new offences, broader scope

The Bill extends the Employment Services Act to foreign nationals and non-profit agencies, creates new offences, and strengthens enforcement.

25 May
NERSA proposes wholesale electricity pricing architecture — comment by 26 June

A consultation paper sets the tariff framework for South Africa's wholesale energy market transition, with mandatory Vesting Contracts and non-avoidable legacy charges.

22 May
Companies Amendment Act sections now live; governing-law jurisdiction question heads to Full Court

Three sections of the Companies Amendment Act 2024 commenced immediately on 22 May 2026. A novel jurisdiction-over-peregrini appeal is granted.

21 May
SCA Rules Suicide Without Mental Illness Breaks Causation Chain in RAF Claims

A landmark SCA judgment reshapes loss-of-support litigation by holding that voluntary suicide without a diagnosed mental impairment is a novus actus interveniens.

20 May
No material developments to report today

Seven documents reviewed — all routine enforcement, procedural housekeeping, or settled-law confirmations. Nothing crosses the materiality threshold.

19 May
Nothing to report — routine administrative notices only

All reviewed documents were routine administrative notices with no material legal or commercial significance.

18 May
Exchange Control Comment Deadline Extended; Mining M&A Consent Threshold Clarified

Treasury pushes draft Capital Flow Management Regulations comments to 30 June 2026; High Court confirms minority share transfers need no MPRDA s 11 consent.

15 May
Fuel levies, safeguard duties and steel rebates land with imminent deadlines

Nine customs and excise schedule amendments require immediate compliance action; a High Court judgment confirms fraud vitiates separation agreements despite non-reliance clauses.

14 May
Immigration detention overhaul signed; minority veto rights enforced by interdict

The Immigration Amendment Act 2025 introduces mandatory judicial oversight of detention, while the Western Cape High Court halts asset disposals that bypassed minority shareholder approval.

13 May
SCA endorses CPA-avoidance via juristic person structuring — but flags vulnerable-consumer risk

Commercial landlords and suppliers now have SCA authority for a common structuring technique, but the court's express carve-out for vulnerable consumers demands immediate advisory attention.

12 May
Waste activities schedule repealed and replaced; heirs' PIE occupation right survives unauthorised estate transfer

A 60-day comment window opens on the new national waste listed activities schedule, and the WCHC develops PIE law on intestate heirs' right to occupy estate property.

11 May
SCA Shuts Down Piecemeal Appeals from National Consumer Tribunal

A split SCA majority holds that interlocutory NCT rulings are not appealable under s 148(2)(b) NCA — credit providers must now fight on the merits.

08 May
Competition Act merger thresholds raised substantially — already in effect

All M&A transactions must be reassessed against new notification thresholds operative since 1 May 2026.

07 May
Sweeping local government reform proposed; RAF hit with punitive costs

Draft White Paper proposes systemic municipal overhaul with a 28 May comment deadline; Western Cape court escalates to attorney-and-client costs against the RAF.

06 May
Competition Commission proposes reverse onus on firms for merger-condition compliance

Draft Rule 39 overhaul shifts the burden of proving merger-condition compliance to the firm — 30-business-day comment window is running.

05 May
Fuel levy rates substituted — new rates effective 6 May 2026

Amended customs and excise fuel levies on petrol, kerosene, distillate fuel, solvents and biodiesel take immediate effect across the petroleum supply chain.

04 May
Draft MyMzansi digital ID regulations open for comment — 6 June 2026 deadline

Home Affairs proposes a national digital identity credential framework with new obligations for banks, telecoms, and all entities performing statutory identity verification.

April 2026
30 Apr
SCA Invalidates RAF Claim Form; Salary-History Ban and POPIA Code Open for Comment

Personal injury practitioners face a hard 30 September 2026 resubmission deadline; employers and property managers must act on tight gazette comment windows.

29 Apr
SCA confirms post-liquidation payments void ex lege; mutual bank reporting overhauled

Distributors and intermediaries face immediate restitutionary exposure on payments from provisionally liquidated companies; mutual banks must adapt to new Authority-directed returns by 1 May 2026.

28 Apr
Rule 46A does not shield trusts from sequestration, High Court holds

ABSA v Pillay distinguishes Bestbier, confining residential property protections to execution and denying them to financially sophisticated trust structures facing sequestration.

24 Apr
R522m vessel seizure tests customs forfeiture limits; COIDA ceiling rises

Western Cape High Court develops the law on releasing seized vessels against guarantees, while updated Compensation Fund thresholds take immediate effect for all employers.

23 Apr
Anti-dumping duties up to 47.23% hit washing machine imports from China and Thailand

New customs duties on large-capacity top-load washing machines take immediate effect, requiring urgent importer action on declarations and pricing.

22 Apr
Constitutional Court rewrites GAAR playbook; anti-dumping duties hit appliance imports

Landmark ruling adopts objective 'party' test for tax avoidance arrangements; definitive duties imposed on washing machines from China and Thailand.

21 Apr
Full Bench confirms settlement agreements reset the in duplum baseline

Western Cape High Court holds that a transactio substitutes a new capital obligation, blocking retrospective decomposition into original capital and interest.

20 Apr
Valuation Appeal Boards cannot strike down municipal Rates Policies

High Court draws a hard jurisdictional line: only courts may review the validity of municipal rates policies, reshaping how PBO and ratepayer appeals are conducted.

17 Apr
Treasury brings crypto under exchange control; SCA reshapes unlawful detention burden of proof

Draft Capital Flow Management Regulations, the COFI Bill, and the AML/CFT Bill land simultaneously with a 30-day comment deadline. SCA develops police bail obligations.

16 Apr
PIE Act overhaul proposed; SCA opens RAF claims to undocumented foreign nationals

Draft PIE Amendment Bill introduces criminal sanctions for land invasions and restructures eviction procedure; SCA disapproves Chola v RAF and confirms all persons may claim.

15 Apr
CPA opt-out registry now in force; judicial oversight extended to non-residential execution

Direct marketers face immediate registration and monthly cleansing obligations; KZN High Court develops execution law for non-residential immovable property.

14 Apr
Cross-border declaratory relief affirmed; Rhino BMP signals domestic horn trade by 2027

High Court develops jurisdiction principles for SA companies sued abroad on contracts they never signed; new consolidated Rhino BMP sets near-term compliance deadlines.

13 Apr
NERSA tariff comments close 21 April; Labour Court limits s 60 EEA reach to contractors

An 8-day comment window on 190+ municipal electricity tariffs demands immediate action, while a Labour Court judgment narrows employer vicarious liability for independent contractor conduct.

10 Apr
Insolvency rehabilitation tightened; OHS engineer certification overhauled

High Court holds creditors' meeting is a prerequisite for s 124(3) rehabilitation; draft regulations replace 35-year-old engineer competency rules with 90-day comment window.

09 Apr
SCA rules Eskom is not an organ of state; ICASA finalises DTTB spectrum regulations

Eskom loses its s 3 notice shield after the SCA overrules Pegma; final digital TV broadcasting regulations impose forfeiture and penalty regimes on all terrestrial broadcasters.

08 Apr
ConCourt Resets Recusal Law; Johannesburg Court Boundaries Redrawn

Constitutional Court develops bias-apprehension test and saves a 74-day trial; new magistrates' court jurisdictional boundaries take immediate effect in Johannesburg.

07 Apr
SCA departs from Strouthos: no automatic security for costs when SCA grants leave to full court

Reportable SCA judgment resolves conflicting authority on Rule 49(13), holding it does not apply where the SCA — not a high court judge — grants leave to appeal.

06 Apr
No material developments for 6 April 2026

Routine municipal land-use notices only — nothing warranting practitioner attention today.

03 Apr
Nothing to report for 3 April 2026

Routine provincial gazette notices only — no material developments for commercial practitioners today.

02 Apr
Extradition Bill to replace 1962 Act — major threshold and refusal-ground changes ahead

The Department of Justice has published the explanatory summary of the Extradition Bill, 2026, signalling imminent introduction in the National Assembly.

01 Apr
VAT rate increase blocked; SCA reshapes expropriation compensation review standard

Annual revenue Act prevents the 15.5% VAT hike and adjusts key tax thresholds; SCA holds s 25(3) compensation is reviewable on correctness, not discretion.

March 2026
31 Mar
New Dust Control Regulations in force — 60-day plan deadline starts now

National Dust Control Regulations 2026 replace the 2013 regime, requiring dust management plans within 60 days on pain of R5 million fines.

30 Mar
Road freight's four-month parental leave regime binds all employers from 13 April

A gender-neutral parental leave overhaul in road freight and logistics, plus private security levy increases, become binding on non-parties in two weeks.

27 Mar
ITAC proposes sweeping renewable energy tariff hikes; SCA shuts down MHSA forum shopping

Proposed duty increases across solar, wind and battery value chains face a 4-week comment deadline; SCA confirms Labour Court has exclusive MHSA jurisdiction.

26 Mar
No material legal developments today

Routine provincial gazette notices only — nothing of broad commercial significance to report.

25 Mar
No material developments for commercial practitioners today

All eight documents reviewed were routine administrative notices with no commercial, regulatory, or precedent significance.

24 Mar
Gautrain corridor route locks in immediate development restrictions across Gauteng

A ~72 km rail route determination triggers mandatory MEC approvals and infrastructure prohibitions for developers, landowners, and service providers — effective now.

23 Mar
SCA shuts down bare commercial-sensitivity PAIA refusals; living annuity threshold now R150,000

Eskom loses SCA appeal on PAIA contract disclosure; new living annuity prescribed amount already effective from 1 March 2026.

20 Mar
New PVoC regime for Chinese imports; A1 Group rescue dismissed across six companies

Ministerial Directive mandates pre-export conformity certificates for unregulated Chinese goods by September 2026; KZN court liquidates A1 Group after finding rescue plan an abuse of process.

19 Mar
Anti-dumping duties up to 74.98% on steel from China, Japan, Taiwan and Thailand take immediate effect

New gazetted duties on hot-rolled and structural steel will materially increase landed costs for importers, construction, and manufacturing sectors.

18 Mar
SCA settles automatic stay for reconsideration applications; five-year steel anti-dumping duties confirmed

A reportable SCA judgment overrules Nquthu Municipality on s 18(1) suspension, while ITAC locks in definitive anti-dumping duties on steel imports from four countries.

17 Mar
Constitutional Court: Municipal Disaster Duties Arise Without a Formal Disaster Declaration

Unanimous apex court judgment binds all municipalities to act on emergency housing obligations irrespective of whether a state of disaster has been declared.

16 Mar
Essential Services Door Closes for Heavy Industry; New Bill Criminalises Unregistered Science Practice

LAC confirms occupational hazards cannot ground essential services designation; Natural Scientific Professions Bill opens 60-day comment window.

13 Mar
ITAC trade-remedy rules open for comment; Full Bench curbs SARS transfer pricing pleadings

Four-week comment deadlines run on proposed safeguard and anti-dumping regulation amendments; BASF judgment limits SARS's ability to change its case in Tax Court.

12 Mar
Telecoms rapid-deployment rules open for comment; Muslim marriage protections confirmed on appeal

A draft policy direction reshaping telecoms facilities leasing has a 30-day comment deadline, while a three-judge bench extends full Rule 43 protections to Muslim spouses after talaq.

11 Mar
SCA clears cross-border mining amalgamations; draft waste exemption regs open for comment

The SCA holds foreign amalgamations preserving a mining right holder's identity don't trigger MPRDA consent requirements. New waste exemption regulations carry R10m penalties.

10 Mar
High Court strikes down post-contract exclusivity clauses in state procurement

Restrictive covenants binding organs of state to a single service provider beyond the contract term are unconstitutional under s 217(1).

09 Mar
Director-removal review standard clarified; CITES export quotas now binding

High Court settles the s 71(5) rationality test for board removals of directors; new NDFs impose immediate wildlife and plant trade restrictions.

06 Mar
New COIDA regulations effective immediately; SCA settles trust-deed intention rule

Employers face a 3-year prescription period and 30-year record retention under new COIDA rules; SCA confirms founder intention is read from the trust deed alone.

05 Mar
VAT Act rate-setting power declared unconstitutional — Parliament gets 24 months

The Western Cape High Court struck down s 7(4) of the VAT Act as an impermissible delegation, with 22 similar tax provisions potentially vulnerable.

04 Mar
Severance pay doubles. Every employer must act.

The Employment Laws Amendment Bill was published 26 February. It doubles statutory severance pay, protects on-call and gig workers, and restructures parental leave across all employment sectors. This is the only item that warranted a primary briefing from 9 documents reviewed today.

03 Mar
New 3,080-ha Vaal SEZ proposed; Labour Court clarifies termination of union organisational rights

A major Sedibeng SEZ designation opens for comment by ~2 April 2026, and a reportable judgment distinguishes settlement-based organisational rights from arbitration awards.

02 Mar
Provisional liquidation orders are not appealable, High Court holds — departing from Siyanda

Gauteng High Court rules s 150 of the Insolvency Act creates a statutory bar to appealing provisional liquidation orders, expressly disagreeing with contrary authority.