Chief Master's Directives

All documents are in PDF format and require Acrobat Reader to open.

• Chief Master Directive 2 of 2025 [764kb] - TRUSTS QR Codes and Online Registration. Effective dates:
  QR Code on Master’s Appointment Letters in Trusts for all offices: 18 March 2025, Online registration of trusts: Master Pretoria and Master Johannesburg: 1 April 2025 & the rest of the country: To be confirmed.
• Chief Master Directive 1 of 2025 [269kb] - Placing of Online Estate Adverts. Read together with Chief Master Directive 1 of 2020. Effective from 13 Feb 2025.

• Chief Master Directive 1 of 2024 [655kb] - Dealing with civil litigation matters involving the Master of the High Court.. Effective from 02 Feb 2024.

• Chief Master Directive 9 of 2023 [7.51mb] - Deceased Estate Matters. Appointment of Executors and/or Master's Representatives in Deceased Estates by the Master and other deceased estate matters. This Directive recalls Chief Master's Directive 3 of 2006 & 2 of 2015. Effective from 03 Nov 2023.
• Chief Master Directive 8 of 2023 [382kb] - Beneficial Ownership Register. This Directive amends and/or repeals prior Directives, Circulars or instructions regarding this subject as per the effective date indicated on the Directive. Effective from 17 Oct 2023.
• Chief Master Directive 7 of 2023 [3.41mb] - Chief Masters Directive 2023-07: Keeping of Annual Performance Plan (APP) Statistics, 21 Sep 2023
• Chief Master Directive 6 of 2023 [154kb] - Chief Masters Directive 2023-06: Establishment of Master Middelburg, Mpumalanga, 28 Aug 2023
• Chief Master Directive 5 of 2023 [382kb] - Guardian's Fund payment cut-off extension for June 2023, 26 Jun 2023.
  Effective from 22 Jun 2023
• Chief Master Directive 4 of 2023 [168kb] - Bankruptcy Matters: Master Middelburg, 07 Jun 2023.
  Effective from 06 Jun 2023
• Chief Masters Directive 2023-02 [180kb]: - Bankruptcy Matters: Standardize the submission of requisitions, 02 May 2023. Effective from 24 Apr 2023
• Chief Masters Directive 2023-01 [88kb]: Deceased Estates: Implementing QR Code on Master's Appointment Letters, 30 Mar 2023. Effective from:
  - Master Johannesburg: 30 March 2023
  - Master Durban: 12 April 2023
  - Rest of the country: To be confirmed.
  Chief Masters Directive 2023-01 ADDENDUM 1: Addendum dealing with the implementation of the QR Code in the Cape Town office as well as dealing with appointments in estates registered in manual registers, prior to 2008 [Released: 31 Jul 2023]
  Chief Masters Directive 2023-01 ADDENDUM 2: Addendum on Implementation of a QR Code on Deceased Estate Appointments in the Pretoria and Thohoyandou Master's Offices. CMD 1 of2023 will come into effect in the Master of the North Gauteng High Court and Master of the Thohoyandou High Court on 26 September 2023 [Released: 26 Sep 2023]

 

• Chief Masters Directive 2021-02 [738kb]: Trusts: Matters relating to Road Accident Fund ("RAF") and Medical Negligence - Amended, 28 May 2021. Effective from 27 May 2021.
• Chief Masters Directive 2021-01 [834kb]: Trusts: Matters relating to Road Accident Fund ("RAF") and Medical Negligence, 28 Apr 2021. Effective from 28 Apr 2021.

• Chief Masters Directive 2020-01 [720kb]: Office of the Chief Master Directive 1 of 2020: Estate Adverts, effective from 8 August 2020.

• Chief Masters Directive 2019-04 [825kb]: Mortis Causa Trusts: Suffixes for Identification as from 15 November 2019.
• Chief Masters Directive 2019-02 [77kb]: Payment of Minor's Inheritance into the Guardian's Fund as from 01 May 2019.
• Chief Masters Directive 2019-01 [324kb] - No Cheque Deposits will be accepted in the Guardian's Fund as from 01 April 2019.

• Chief Masters Directive 2018-01 [1.02mb] - Interest on Future maintenance and age of majority for purposes of Sec 91 Adverts as from 01 April 2018. The purpose of this directive is to ensure uniformity in respect of the way in which the Guardian's Fund deals with the following:
  i) Interest on Future Maintenance Funds deposited with the Master and
  ii) Age of majority when preparing the advertisement in terms of Section 91 of the Administration of Estate Act 66 of 1965 (the Act).
• Chief Masters Directive 2017-03 [872kb] - Increase of Masters Fees as from 1 January 2018.
  
  Also see Circular 90/2017: Determination of method of payment of fees under section 153 of the Insolvency Act; 1936; The regulations made under section 103 of the Sdministration of Estates Act. 1965 (Act 66 1965); the Regulations made under Section 15 of the Companies Act, 1973 (Act 61 of 1973); and the Regulations made under Section 24 of the Trust Property Control Act, 1988 (Act 57 of 1988): Collection of Masters' prescribed fees for Deceased and Insolvent Estates and Estates Under Curatorship, Trusts and Copies of Documents.
  
• Chief Masters Directive 2017-02 [281kb] - Dealing with Trust matters.
• Chief Masters Directive 2017-01 [68kb] - To ensure uniformity in respect of the way in which the Guardian's Fund deals with Future Maintenance Funds deposited with the Master.
• Chief Masters Directive 2016-04 [413kb] - Postages and petties
• Chief Masters Directive 2016-03 [547kb] - Deceased Estates: Dealing with an Executor's application for Discharge
• Chief Masters Directive 2016-02 [ 727kb] - Deceased Estates: dealing with estate duty matters by the Master and SARS
• Chief Maters Directive 2016-01 [370kb] - Appointments in terms of the PDI/BEE list of Insolvency Practitioners. This Directive is effective from 1 FEBRUARY 2016 and should be implemented as such.
• Chief Master's Directive 2015-05 [1.01MB] - Signatories at service points amended delegation by the Master
• Chief Master's Directive 2015-04 [732KB] - Guardian's Fund Support (Effectiveness of Risk Management)
• Chief Master's Directive 2015-03 [733KB] - Interpretation of Increased Jurisdiction
• Chief Master's Directive 2015-02 [730KB] - Appointments in Deceased Estates
• Chief Master's Directive 2015-01 [416KB] - Appointments in terms of the national list of Insolvency Practitioners
• Chief Master's Directive 2014-07 [92KB] - Inter Vivos Trusts - Suffixes for identification of offices of The Master of the High Court
• Chief Master's Directive 2014-03 [627KB] - Monitoring of the implementation of the policy on the appointment of Insolvency Practitioners
• Chief Master's Directive 2014-02 [841KB] - Appointments in terms of the Policy on the Appointment of Insolvency Practitioners
• Chief Master's Directive 2014-01 [915KB] - Master's Representation at Insolvency Proceedings
• Chief Master's Directive 2012-06 [127KB] - Prefixes for identification of offices in the Master of the High Court - effective as from 01 November 2012
• Chief Master's Directive 2012-05 [672KB] - Electronic Fund Transfers (EFT) and Other Payments By Estate Representatives - effective as from 17 July 2012
• Chief Master's Directive 2012-02 [321KB] - Keeping of statistics (Recalling Directive 3 of 2010)- effective as from 27 March 2012
• Chief Master's Directive 2012-01 [585KB] - Payment of fees due to the Master ( Recalling Directive 4 of 2010) – effective as from 12 March 2012
• Chief Master's Directive 2011-04 [146KB] - Section 28 (1) (c) of the Administration of Estates Act 66 of 1965 relates to Banking Accounts where an executor has to place funds from an estate which are not being immediately utilised into an interest bearing account with a bank.
• Chief Master's Directive 2010-04 [RECALLED BY DIRECTIVE 2012/01] - Fees payable to the Master
• Chief Master's Directive 2010-03 [RECALLED BY DIRECTIVE 2012/02] - Keeping of Statistics in the office
• Chief Master's Directive 2010-02 [72KB] - Risk management and control systems
• Chief Master's Directive 2010-01 [82KB] - Bonds in assetless Companies and Close Corporations
  The purpose of this directive is to ensure a uniform approach by Masters nationally in respect of the issue set out below in accordance with the provisions of Section 2(a) of the Administration of Estates Act No 66 of 1965.
• Chief Master Directive 2009-07 [119KB] - Bond Substitution
  The purpose of this directive is to ensure a uniform approach by Masters nationally in respect of the issue listed below in accordance with the provisions of Section 2(a) of the Administration of Estates Act No 66 of 1965.
• Chief Master Directive 2009-06 [253KB] - Remuneration of Trustees, Liquidators, Judicial Managers and similar functionaries
• Chief Master Directive 2009-05 [58KB] - Requests or suggestions for Bribes
• Chief Master Directive 2009-04 [58KB] - Sale of Immovable Property in a Sec 18 (3) Estate
• Chief Master Directive 2009-03 [58KB] - VAT on Executors Fee
• Chief Master Directive 2009-02 [58KB] - Access to information on Trusts
• Chief Master Directive 2009-01 [59KB] - Amendment of a Trust Name
• Chief Master Directive 2008-02 [38KB] - Requisition for File in the Office of the Master of the High Court.
  More information regarding the form.
• Chief Master Directive 2007-04 [228KB]
• Chief Master Directive 2007-01, 02 & 03 [177KB]
• Chief Master Directive 2006-03 [194KB] - Appointment of Executors and/or Master’s Representatives in Deceased Estates by the Master
• Chief Master Directive 2006-01 [47KB]

NOTE: Signed copies of the Directives can be requested via the Customer Care e-mail address: chiefmaster@justice.gov.za