CONVEYANCING: CONVENTIONAL DEEDS (ACT 47/1937) GUIDELINE OF FEES

   
CONVEYANCING: CONVENTIONAL DEEDS (ACT 47/1937)  
GUIDELINE OF FEES 
 
 
IMPLEMENTATION DATE: 1 JULY 2020 
(CPI reference date used for calculations: January 2020) 
  
 
Conveyancing fees are negotiable.  These are merely guidelines and not minimum or maximum fees. 
1. GENERAL NOTES:  
The fees recommended in this guideline are in respect of and include inter alia the general conveyancing 
duties  performed  by  a  conveyancer  for  procuring  the  due  and  proper  execution  and  registration  of  the 
relevant deed or document, or the filing thereof or cancellation thereof, as the case may be, as well as the 
responsibility placed on him for the accuracy of the facts mentioned in deeds or documents or which are 
relevant in connection with the registration or filing thereof as contemplated in section 15A of the Deeds 
Registries  Act,  Act  47  of  1937  (“the  Act”),  as  amended;  for  ensuring  that  copies  of  any  deeds  and 
documents  are  identical  as  at  the  date  of  lodgement,  that  all  applicable  conditions  of  title  are  correctly 
brought  forward  in  any  deed  of  transfer  or  certificate  of  title,  that  any  person  signing  a  document  as 
principal or representative has been appointed and is acting in accordance within the powers granted to 
him and that any security required has been furnished to the Master, that parties to deeds are correctly 
reflected,  that  the  necessary  authority  has  been  obtained  for  the  signing  of  any  document  in  a 
representative  capacity,  that  the  transaction  in  question  is  authorised  by  and  in  accordance  with  the 
constitution, regulations or founding statement or trust instrument of a trust, as the case may be, of any 
church, association, close corporation, society, trust or other body of persons, or any institution (whether 
created  by  statute  or  otherwise)  being  a  party  to  such  document,  where  applicable,  that  the  relevant 
particulars in the deed have been correctly brought forward from the power of attorney, as contemplated 
in Regulation 44A of the Deeds Regulations; and for this purpose shall include the taking and giving of 
instructions,  all  correspondence,  including  the  perusal  of  completed  deeds  of  sale;  the  preparation  and 
attendance  on  signature  of  all  powers  of  attorney,  declarations,  affidavits,  resolutions,  status  affidavits, 
company certificates, exchange control certificates, certificates in terms of section 20 of the Alienation of 
Land  Act  68/1981  and  other  necessary  preliminary  and  ancillary  documents  as  well  as  attendances  in 
connection  with  the  obtaining,  preparation  and  signature  of  documents  to  ensure  compliance  with  the 
provisions of the Financial Intelligence Centre Act and the signature of ancillary documents required by a 
mortgagee in terms of the National Credit Act; the payment of transfer duty or VAT and of all rates levied 
by  any  lawful  authority,  the  obtaining  and  making  of  all  clearance  and  other  certificates;  including 
attendances  or  consultation  with  an  outside  agent  to  obtain  clearance  certificates;  the  perusal  of 
memoranda and articles of association and trust deeds, the making of all necessary financial  
 
 
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arrangements, including the issuing of guarantees on behalf of bondholders or the provision and checking 
of  guarantees  and  attending  payment  in  terms  thereof;  the  drawing  and  preparation  of  any  document, 
including all copies thereof, required for execution or registration at a deeds registry and the obtaining of 
registration thereof, arranging simultaneous lodgement and registration with another conveyancer or other 
conveyancers, where necessary; the giving of all references required by the deeds registry for examination 
purposes; and all attendances at the deeds registry, but shall not include — 
1.1 any attendance in connection with the drawing and execution of deeds of sale, deeds of donation, 
deeds of exchange, preliminary partition agreements, deeds of suretyship and acknowledgements 
of debt and documents of a similar nature;  
1.2 any  separate  act  of  registration  of  any  other  document  which  may  be  necessary  before  or  in 
connection with the first-mentioned act of registration;   
1.3 any  attendance  in  connection  with  the  resolution  of  a  dispute  between  the  transferor  and  the 
transferee arising from a deed of sale or any of the other documents referred to in 1.1 above or from 
whatsoever cause;  
1.4 any  attendance  arising  from  negotiations  between  the  parties,  resulting  in  a  further  agreement  or 
addendum or amendment to an existing agreement;  
1.5 any consultation for the purpose of drafting a marriage contract;  
1.6 any attendance or consultation, in addition to taking instructions, relating to the opening of a township 
register in terms of Section 46 of the Act; or incisions or excisions; 
1.7 any attendance in connection with the preparation and obtaining of documents relating to collateral 
security required by a mortgagee; 
1.8 any attendance on the issue of additional letters of undertaking and guarantees (other than in favour 
of or for bond holders, the seller or transferring attorney or undertakings for cancellation/release of 
bond  costs  in  favour  of  the  bond  cancellation  attorney).    Suggested  fee:  R730  per  undertaking  / 
guarantee; 
1.9 any attendance on investments in trust in terms of Section 86(4) of the Legal Practice Act 228/2014.  
Recommended fee R730 per investment, alternatively a fee based on the amount and duration of 
the investment; 
1.10  Any attendance or disbursement paid to a computer software supplier for purposes of receiving or 
drafting instructions electronically;  
 
 
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1.11  Any attendance or consultation with an outside agent to attend to municipal refunds and 
reconciliations on behalf of client.  Suggested fee R500. The aforegoing fee excludes the fee payable 
to the outside agent; 
1.12  Any formal certification to any linked attorney or third party of material facts relating to the transaction 
but  beyond  what  is  required  for  registration  of  the  transaction  itself  and  which  certification  a 
conveyancer may, but is not obliged to furnish (such as certification of the sale price, no conditions 
or servitudes that adversely affect the value of the property or the security of a mortgage bond, the 
disposal  not forming a major part of seller’s assets,  or  compliance  with  specific  sections  of  the 
Companies Act, Insolvency Act or any other Act) and that places the conveyancer at professional 
risk:  A  fee  of  R1220  per  certification  or  a  fee  assessed  according  to  the  perceived  risk  and/or 
complexity thereof is recommended, payable by the requesting attorney or party. 
NOTE:   It is recommended that additional charges and disbursements discussed above in 1.1 to 1.12 be 
agreed upon in advance with the client.  
2.  DEFINITIONS  
For the purpose of these guidelines —  
(a)  a folio consists of 100 printed or written words or figures or part thereof and four figures shall be  
recorded as one word; and  
(b)  ‘value of property’ means —  
(i)  where transfer duty is payable, the purchase price or the amount on which transfer duty  
is payable, whichever amount is the higher;  
(ii)  where  no transfer  duty  is  payable  in terms  of  section  9(2)  of the  Transfer  Duty  Act  40  of 
1949,  the  purchase  price  or  the  declared  value  as  determined  in  the  Transfer  Duty  Act, 
whichever amount is the higher;  
(iii) where no transfer duty is payable in terms of Section 9(15) of the Transfer Duty Act 40 of 
1949, the purchase price plus VAT; 
(iv) where no transfer duty is payable in terms of any other provision of section 9 of the Transfer 
Duty  Act,  1949,  but  an  official  valuation  (be  it  municipal,  other  local  authority  or  by  the 
Master  of  the  High  Court)  is  available,  then  such  valuation  or  the  compensation  paid,  
 
 
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for each additional property if the same title conditions apply. Where the title conditions differ, 
a fee assessed according to the length and complexity thereof, is recommended.  
2.   For certificates of consolidated title under section 40, certificates of amended title and uniform 
title under sections 41 and 42 and a certificate in terms of section 38 of the Act: R7300 plus 
R1460 for every additional constituent property after the first two properties, or alternatively a 
fee assessed according to the length and complexity thereof is recommended. The 
recommended fee herein excludes the fee contemplated to in item 10(a) of Section Xl.  
 
SECTION V  
DE-REGISTRATION OF MINERAL RIGHTS 
(This section has been deleted) 
 
SECTlON VI 
A.  BONDS  
1.  The recommended fee for mortgage bonds including surety mortgage bonds be as set out in 
column B of the Schedule to this guideline.  
2.  The  recommended  fee  charged  for  collateral  bonds,  being  mortgage  bonds  passed  as 
additional  security  for  another  bond  irrespective  of  where  the  collateral  bond  is  being 
registered, be 75% of the recommended fee as set out in column B of the Schedule to this 
guideline.  
3. For  any  waiver  in  terms  of  regulation  41(7)  when  included  in  a  bond,  an  additional  fee  of 
R1850 is recommended.  
4. If  more  than  one  property  is  included  in  any  bond  referred  to  in  item  I  or  2  above  the 
recommended fee as set out in column A of the Schedule of the guideline shall be increased 
by  15%  for  each  additional  property,  subject  to  a  maximum  of  R3270  for  each  additional 
property   
   
 
 
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B. LEASEHOLD MORTGAGE BONDS 
The  recommended  fee  for  leasehold  mortgage  bonds,  including  surety  bonds,  be  as  set  out  in 
Column B of The Schedule to these guidelines.  
 
NOTE:   The  recommended  fee  for  all  mortgage  bonds,  including  surety  and  leasehold  bonds, 
includes the fee, if any, payable to another conveyancer in terms of paragraph 1.12 of the 
General Notes. 
 
 
SECTION VII 
NOTARIAL BONDS  
The recommended fee for notarial bonds, including surety notarial bonds:  
1.1  a basic amount of R1250 for bonds securing an amount up to and including R200 000 
and a basic amount of R1870 for bonds securing an amount over R200 000. 
 plus  
1.2 the relevant amount as set out in column B of the Schedule to these guidelines.  
2.  The  recommended  fee  for  collateral  notarial  bonds  passed  as  additional  security  for  a 
mortgage bond or other notarial bond irrespective of where the collateral notarial bond is being 
registered, be 75% (seventy five percent) of the fee set out in (Column B of the Schedule to 
these) this guideline.  
 
 
SECTION VIII 
MARRIAGE CONTRACTS INCLUDING ALL NOTARIAL CONTRACTS UNDER THE 
MATRIMONIAL PROPERTY ACT, 1984 (Act No, 88 of 1984) 
For  drawing  contracts  and  necessary  copies,  attending  on  execution,  notarial  attestation  and 
registration, including all correspondence R2450.  (This fee does not include any consultations for 
the purpose of drafting the marriage contract). 
 
 
   
 
 
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SECTION IX 
OTHER NOTARIAL DEEDS AND ATTENDANCES 
1.  For  the  drawing  and  registering  of  any  notarial  waiver  of  preference  by  mortgagee, 
usufructuary or other holder of a limited interest, or other notarial consent required under 
the Act or the Regulations:  R3650.  
2.  For the drawing and registering of any notarial lease, servitude, donation or other notarial 
deed  or  cancellation  thereof  (other  than  those  elsewhere  specially  provided  for  in  this 
guideline), a fee of R6080 or a fee assessed according to the length or complexity thereof, 
is recommended.  If more than one property is included in the same notarial instrument, the 
recommended fee as set out in the Schedule of the guideline shall be increased by 15% for 
each additional property, subject to a maximum of R3260 for each additional property.  
3. For any notarially certified copy of a document (but excluding notarial authentication): R190 
per document. 
4. For a diplomatic Apostille Certificate or similar prescribed international authentication: 
R1850 per document.  
5. For the notarial authentication of documents, certificates of identity: R1740 per document 
including the first page, plus R130 per additional page in the document.   
6. For the notarial attestation of identity and signature of a party, including consultation and 
notarisation: R1850 per document. 
 
SECTION X 
CANCELLATION,  CESSION  OR  VARIATION  OF  BONDS,  RELEASE  OF  PERSONS  OR 
PROPERTY FROM BONDS, AND WAIVER OF PREFERENCE IN REGARD TO RANKING OF 
BONDS.  
1  (a)  For drawing consent to cancellation of bond; consent to cancellation of cession of bond; 
release of property or person from a bond; consent to reduction of cover; consent to part 
payment  of  capital;  framing  waiver  of  preference  in  regard  to  the  ranking  of  a  bond; 
waiver of preference in respect of real rights in land; consent of mortgagee, usufructuary, 
lessee or holder of other limited interest required by the Act or the Regulations and not