Protect What You've Built.
Estate and legacy planning that ensures your wealth reaches the people and causes you care about — efficiently, legally, and on your terms.
70% of South Africans die without a valid will.
Without proper estate planning, the Intestate Succession Act decides who gets what — and the result is almost never what you would have chosen. Your spouse may not inherit everything. Your children's guardianship could be decided by a court. Your business could be frozen.
Estate planning isn't just for the wealthy. Anyone with assets, dependants, or wishes about how their affairs should be handled needs a plan. A valid will, the right beneficiary nominations, and a clear structure can save your family months of legal proceedings, tens of thousands in unnecessary fees, and immeasurable emotional distress.
The cost of inaction is real. Executor fees can reach 3.5% of your gross estate (plus VAT). Estate duty is levied at 20% on estates above R3.5 million. Without planning, your heirs may need to sell assets — often at a loss — just to settle the estate.
3.5% + VAT
Maximum executor fees on your gross estate. On R5M, that's over R200,000 in fees alone.
20% estate duty
Levied on estates exceeding R3.5M (R7M for spouses). Proper planning can significantly reduce or eliminate this.
Intestate = no control
Without a will, your estate is divided by a fixed legal formula. Your wishes — and your family's needs — are irrelevant.
What We Offer
Comprehensive Estate & Legacy Services
We work with you and your legal advisors to build a structure that protects your family, minimises tax, and ensures your legacy endures.
Will Drafting & Review
Your will is the single most important document in your estate plan. It determines who inherits your assets, who cares for your minor children, and who administers your estate. Without one, the state decides for you.
We help you draft a comprehensive, legally valid will — or review your existing one to ensure it reflects your current circumstances. Marriage, divorce, the birth of a child, acquiring property, or starting a business are all triggers to update your will.
Why act now? A will drafted 10 years ago may no longer reflect your wishes, your assets, or the law. Outdated wills cause disputes, delays, and unintended consequences.
- Legally valid will drafting and execution
- Regular review as your circumstances change
- Nomination of executors and guardians
- Specific bequests and residual estate distribution
70%
Of South Africans die without a will
What We Review
Retirement Funds
Nominations on retirement annuities, pension and provident funds guide the trustees who distribute your benefit. Keeping them current means faster, cleaner payouts for your dependants.
Life Policies & Life Portfolios
Proceeds paid to a nominated beneficiary flow directly to them — outside the estate administration process, with no executor fees on those proceeds.
Estate Liquidity Analysis
We calculate the cash your estate will need — executor fees, estate duty, debts, taxes — and structure cover so assets never have to be sold in a hurry.
Beneficiary Nominations & Estate Liquidity
Some of your most valuable assets — retirement funds, life policies, living annuities — pass to your loved ones by beneficiary nomination, not through your will. Outdated nominations are among the most common and costly estate planning mistakes.
We review every nomination across your policies and funds, align them with your will and your wishes, and make sure your estate has the liquidity to settle its obligations without forced asset sales.
Why act now? Nominations override assumptions — a person named on a policy years ago will still receive the proceeds, whatever your will says. A review takes minutes; skipping it can cost your family dearly.
Estate Duty & Tax Optimisation
Estate duty in South Africa is 20% on the first R30 million above the R3.5 million abatement, and 25% thereafter. Combined with executor fees, CGT on deemed disposal, and income tax on retirement funds, the total tax drag on an unplanned estate can be devastating.
We analyse your full asset picture — property, investments, retirement funds, business interests, life insurance — and structure your estate to minimise the tax burden on your heirs. This might involve donations during your lifetime, life policies structured for estate liquidity, or simply ensuring your beneficiary nominations are correct.
Why act now? Tax planning is most effective when you have time. The earlier you start restructuring, the more estate duty you avoid on future asset growth.
- Estate duty analysis and minimisation strategies
- CGT planning on deemed disposal at death
- Life insurance structuring for estate liquidity
- Donations tax planning within annual exemptions
20%
Estate duty above R3.5M
R3.5M
Primary abatement
A business without a succession plan is a liability, not a legacy.
Business Succession & Key Person Cover
If you own a business, your estate plan must account for it. Without a clear succession strategy, your death or incapacity could freeze operations, destroy value, and leave your partners and employees in limbo.
We help structure buy-and-sell agreements funded by life insurance, key person policies that protect the business if a critical member is lost, and succession plans that ensure a smooth transition — whether to family, partners, or an external buyer.
Why act now? Buy-and-sell agreements must be in place before they're needed. Once a health event occurs, it's too late to get cover or restructure ownership.
- Buy-and-sell agreements funded by life insurance
- Key person cover for critical business members
- Succession planning for family businesses
- Business valuation for estate and tax purposes
Your Checklist
Do You Have These in Place?
If you can't tick every box, it's time to speak to an advisor.
Your legacy is too important to leave to chance.
Let's review your estate plan together and ensure your family is protected, your taxes are minimised, and your wishes are honoured.
Schedule a Consultation