Regulating The Rapidly Developing Space Of Data Protection, IP And AI

On 10 April 2026, the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (Department) published the Draft South Africa National AI Policy (Draft AI Policy) for public comment. This 60-day public comment period ends on 10 June 2026. It is anticipated that the National AI Policy will be finalised by the end of the 2026/2027 financial year, with sectoral strategies and supporting regulatory frameworks rolling out from 2027/2028.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming South Africa's financial sector, driving innovation, operational efficiency, and new customer experiences.

On 18 March 2026, Oasis Security published 'Claudy Day'. A vulnerability chain in Anthropic's Claude AI. Unlike attacks on proprietary in-house tools requiring custom exploits...

In the wake of the recent Mirror Trading International Proprietary Limited debacle, the Financial Sector Conduct Authority ("FSCA") has again cautioned investors against investing in crypto assets...

Legal Practitioners in South Africa are bound by the Code of Conduct for All Legal Practitioners, Candidate Legal Practitioners and Juristic Entities ("the Code"). At present, the Code does not expressly regulate how legal practitioners can make use of artificial intelligence ("AI") tools...

The hospitality market is experiencing unprecedented growth in artificial intelligence (AI) investment, reflecting the industry's recognition that AI offers substantial opportunities to enhance guest experiences and operational efficiency.

​​​​​​The year 2025 is ear marked to be a landmark period for the fintech industry, marked by ground breaking innovations, regulatory milestones, and continued push towards financial inclusion.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping the way South African organisations interact with customers, analyse business data, and manage operations.

Technology vendors rarely ask direct permission to train their models using your data. Instead, that permission is often hidden in ordinary-looking clauses found in SaaS and other agreements.

In the 1970s classic Colossus: The Forbin Project, AI's unchecked growth leads to a dystopian world where human agency is overridden by the machine's cold logic.

South Africa's 26th Commission for Employment Equity Annual Report reveals a dramatic 48.4% decline in employment equity reporting following legislative amendments, while introducing a new compliance certificate regime that fundamentally alters how employers access state business opportunities. With six constitutional challenges now before the courts and new sectoral numerical targets in force...

National Treasury has proposed a centralised framework for administering South Africa's estimated R88 billion in unclaimed financial assets, including retirement benefits. The discussion paper outlines a system where a central administrator would manage tracing, record-keeping and claims through a single public portal, with assets potentially transferred to the Corporation for Public Deposits.

A South African Labour Court has ruled that an employee who secured her position through fraudulent misrepresentations about her employment history must repay all remuneration received, along with costs incurred from consultants she secretly promoted. The judgment establishes significant precedent for employer remedies when recruitment fraud results in no value delivered, while confirming the Labour Court's jurisdiction over employment-related fraud claims.

The Competition Commission's recent dawn raids in the scrap-metal sector signal a shift from policy to enforcement action. This practical webinar explores how businesses can identify collusion risks, prepare for dawn raids, and manage competitor contact under South African Competition Act provisions. The session addresses business readiness in an era where digital evidence, including AI-related records, plays an increasingly central role in competition investigations.

South Africa's Regulation of Trusts Bill, 2026 proposes the most significant overhaul of trust law since 1988, introducing comprehensive compliance obligations, beneficial ownership transparency, and enhanced regulatory oversight. While aimed at strengthening accountability and aligning with international anti-money laundering standards, the Bill raises critical questions about practical implementation, institutional capacity, and the balance between regulatory rigor and administrative feasibility.

A recent Gauteng High Court judgment confirms that mandatory court-annexed mediation cannot be avoided simply because parties are hostile toward each other or believe the process will be futile. The court ordered an uncooperative defendant to participate in mediation, establishing that only exceptional circumstances will excuse parties from the process introduced by the Directive and Protocol.

South Africa's 2022 Code of Good Practice on the Prevention and Elimination of Harassment in the Workplace represents a significant shift from addressing sexual harassment alone to tackling all forms of workplace harassment, including bullying, intimidation, and cyber-harassment. The Code extends beyond physical office boundaries to encompass remote work, digital communications, and work-related events, while placing unprecedented emphasis on proactive prevention rather than reactive response. Employers mus

The Western Cape High Court has delivered a significant ruling on whether contingent and prospective creditors have standing to initiate business rescue proceedings under Chapter 6 of the Companies Act. The judgment settles on the grammatical meaning of "creditor" and clarifies the rights of sureties and subordinated debt holders in business rescue applications. This decision has important implications for lenders and creditors seeking to place debtors into business rescue proceedings.

Njeri Wagacha sits down with Liz Fanning, Founder and CEO of CorpsAfrica, to explore her transformative journey from Peace Corps volunteer to building an organization dedicated to empowering young people and high-poverty rural communities across Africa. The conversation delves into African-led development, local ownership, youth engagement, and the critical importance of listening to communities as they identify solutions to their own challenges.

The Competition Commission has released draft amendments to the Small Merger Guidelines, proposing significantly higher thresholds for small merger notifications. These changes aim to capture potentially anti-competitive acquisitions in digital and technology markets where target firms are acquired before generating substantial turnover or assets, but possess significant future growth potential.