Conveyancing & Property News
If you signed an offer to purchase recently, or you are planning to buy or sell property in the Western Cape this year, there is something you need to check. The Law Society of South Africa has released updated conveyancing fee guidelines, effective 1 July 2026. The figures have changed. Any cost estimate you received before this date may no longer be accurate.
This is not a dramatic overhaul. Fees are adjusted annually using the consumer price index and the January 2026 CPI reference of 3.5% was applied to produce the new schedule. What it does mean is that the rand figures your attorney quoted you in April or May are now outdated. Roberts Incorporated works from the current guideline on every matter.
Conveyancing fees in South Africa are calculated on a sliding scale based on the purchase price or bond amount. The higher the property value, the higher the fee, though the percentage rate decreases as the price increases.
Under the updated 2026 guidelines, the recommended fee for a property or bond valued at R100,000 or less is R6,875. For properties between R100,001 and R500,000, the fee starts at R6,875 and increases by R1,100 for every R50,000 or part thereof above that base. For a property valued between R500,001 and R1 million, the starting point is R15,675 for the first R500,000, plus R2,120 for every R100,000 above that. A property valued between R1 million and R5 million attracts a base fee of R26,275 for the first R1 million, plus R2,120 for every R200,000 above that. Properties above R5 million carry a base of R68,675, plus R5,340 per R1 million above the threshold.
All of these figures are net of VAT. Add 15% to get the total you will actually pay.
The same scale applies to both property transfers and bond registrations, which means a buyer using a home loan faces two separate sets of professional fees: one for the transfer attorney and one for the bond registration attorney.
It is worth understanding what falls outside the base fee. The guidelines list a number of attendances that are charged separately, and buyers are often caught off guard by these when they see the final cost breakdown.
FICA compliance is one example. The recommended fee is R375 per natural person involved in a transaction, or R745 for a company, close corporation or trust with three or fewer directors, members or trustees. If four or more individuals are involved, the fee is assessed based on time and complexity. These amounts are separate from the transfer fee itself.
Bond cancellation is another. If a seller has a bond over the property being sold, the consent to cancel that bond carries a recommended fee of R3,375. That cost typically falls on the seller's side of the transaction.
Additional certificates, undertakings and guarantees outside the standard scope of transfer work also attract separate fees. The guideline recommends R955 per undertaking or guarantee issued on behalf of a client in addition to standard bond-related undertakings.
This is a point many buyers miss. The LSSA guidelines are recommendations. They are not minimum or maximum fees and conveyancing fees in South Africa remain fully negotiable between attorney and client. A conveyancing lawyer may charge above or below the guideline depending on the complexity of the transaction and the practice involved.
What the guidelines do is provide a consistent reference point. Roberts Incorporated uses the current guidelines as a starting point for every cost estimate, and will explain clearly where any fee differs from the schedule and why.
The 1 July 2026 date is not just administrative. If you signed an offer to purchase before that date but your transfer is lodged at the Deeds Office after it, the new fee schedule applies. The lodgement date, not the signature date on your sale agreement, determines which guideline governs your costs.
This catches buyers and sellers by surprise more often than you might expect. A transaction that has been running for two or three months could move from one fee year to another mid-process. Roberts Incorporated will flag this for you when it is relevant to your matter.
With average home prices in the Western Cape sitting at around R2.26 million over the twelve months to January 2026, the practical fee for a typical Cape Town transfer sits within the R1 million to R5 million band. At R2.26 million, the recommended transfer fee under the 2026 guidelines comes to approximately R32,795 before VAT, or around R37,714 including VAT. Add the bond registration fee at the same property value and the same rate applies again on the bond amount.
These are not small numbers, and they sit on top of transfer duty, Deeds Office fees and FICA costs. Roberts Incorporated provides a full cost breakdown before you commit to any transaction. There should be no surprises on transfer day.
Contact Roberts Incorporated or use the transfer cost calculator to get a clear picture of what your specific property transaction will cost under the current 2026 guidelines.
Buying property in South Africa involves multiple legal professionals and various fees that many buyers struggle to understand. One of the most common points of confusion is the difference between conveyancing costs and bond costs. Both are essential parts of the property transfer process, but they serve completely different purposes and are handled by different attorneys. Understanding this distinction helps you budget accurately and avoid surprises when your property purchase reaches the payment stage.
Conveyancing costs are the professional fees charged by a conveyancing attorney to transfer ownership of the property from the seller's name into your name at the Deeds Office. The seller appoints the conveyancer, but the buyer pays for this service. This is a legal requirement in South Africa. Every property transaction must go through a qualified conveyancer who has passed specialised examinations and been admitted by the High Court to practise conveyancing law.
Your conveyancing attorney handles the entire transfer process. They prepare all the transfer documents, liaise with the Deeds Office, obtain rates clearance certificates from the municipality, ensure FICA compliance and verify that the seller has the legal right to sell the property. The conveyancer also collects transfer duty on behalf of SARS and pays the Deeds Office fees required for registration.
Conveyancing fees in 2026 typically range from approximately R10,000 to R60,000 plus VAT, depending on the property's purchase price. These fees follow the Legal Practice Council guidelines, although conveyancers may charge above or below these recommendations. Following the April 2026 Deeds Office fee increases, buyers should expect slightly higher overall conveyancing costs due to the statutory component that conveyancers must collect and pass to the Deeds Office.
The conveyancer's professional fee covers only their legal work. On top of this fee, you will pay Deeds Office registration fees, FICA compliance costs and various disbursements for rates clearances, transfer duty receipts and document generation. When you receive a conveyancing quote, it should clearly separate the attorney's professional fee from these additional statutory and administrative costs.
Bond costs are the fees charged by a separate attorney who registers your home loan against the property at the Deeds Office. If you are financing your property purchase with a bank loan, the bank will appoint a bond attorney to register the mortgage bond. This attorney works for the bank, not for you. Their job is to ensure the bank's loan is properly secured against the property.
The bond attorney prepares all the bond documentation, verifies your identity and compliance with FICA, and submits the bond registration to the Deeds Office. Bond registration is a separate legal process from the property transfer itself, even though both happen simultaneously during the registration process.
Bond costs also follow a sliding scale based on the loan amount. For a home loan of R1,500,000, you might pay between R20,000 and R40,000 plus VAT for bond registration. Similar to conveyancing, this includes the attorney's professional fee plus Deeds Office bond registration fees and disbursements.
Some banks currently offer discounts on bond registration costs for first-time buyers or promotional campaigns. It is worth asking your bond originator whether any incentives apply to your application. However, these discounts typically apply only to the bank's portion of the fees, not the statutory Deeds Office charges.
The separation between conveyancing and bond registration exists to protect all parties involved. The conveyancer acts in the interests of both the buyer and seller to give effect to the sale agreement. The bond attorney acts in the bank's interest to secure the loan properly. Having separate attorneys prevents conflicts of interest and ensures each party's rights are protected throughout the transaction.
In practice, these two attorneys work closely together. The property transfer and bond registration must happen on the same day at the Deeds Office. The conveyancer cannot register the transfer until the bond attorney confirms the home loan is approved and ready for registration. Similarly, the bond attorney cannot register the mortgage bond until the property has been transferred into your name.
This coordination is why property transfers typically take six to twelve weeks to complete. Both attorneys must obtain all necessary documents, clearances and approvals before the Deeds Office can register the transaction. Any delay on either side affects the entire process.
When calculating your total property purchase costs, you must include both conveyancing and bond costs. If you are buying a R1,500,000 property with a 100% bond, your attorney fees alone could total R25,000 to R48,000 plus VAT. Add transfer duty (if applicable above R1,210,000), Deeds Office fees and other disbursements, and your total closing costs typically range from 6% to 12% of the purchase price.
First-time buyers should request detailed quotes from both attorneys before signing an offer to purchase. These quotes should itemise every fee, clearly showing which costs are negotiable professional fees and which are fixed statutory charges. Understanding these costs upfront prevents financial strain during the registration process.
Your conveyancer plays a vital role in coordinating both the transfer and bond registration processes. Experienced conveyancing lawyers understand bank requirements, can provide accurate cost breakdowns and flag potential issues early that might affect either the transfer or bond registration timeline.
Choosing a knowledgeable conveyancer ensures smooth communication between you, the bank's bond attorney and the seller's legal team. This coordination prevents delays and protects your interests throughout the property transfer. A good conveyancer will explain the difference between their fees and bond costs upfront, helping you budget accurately for your property purchase.
Roberts Incorporated assists buyers through every stage of the conveyancing and bond registration process. Our team provides clear cost breakdowns, coordinates with bond attorneys and ensures you understand exactly what you are paying for at each stage. Contact us to discuss your property purchase and receive transparent guidance on both conveyancing and bond costs.
The difference between conveyancing and bond costs comes down to function. Conveyancing transfers ownership. Bond registration secures your loan. Both are essential, both require specialist attorneys and both must be paid before you receive the keys to your new home. Budget for both from the start, and your property purchase will proceed smoothly through to registration.
If you are buying or selling property in South Africa right now, your transfer costs just went up. New Deeds Office fees came into effect on 1 April 2026 and most buyers have no idea they exist, let alone what they cost. Before you sign anything, here is what you need to know.
When your conveyancer lodges the transfer documents at the Deeds Office to register ownership in your name, the Deeds Office charges its own fees. These are separate from your conveyancing lawyer's professional fees. They are separate from transfer duty. They are a third layer of cost and they apply to every property transaction in South Africa.
Most people buying a home focus entirely on the purchase price and the bond. The transfer costs come as a shock. The Deeds Office fees are part of that shock and from 1 April 2026, they are higher than they were last year.
The updated Schedule of Fees of Office was published in Government Gazette No. 54225 on 27 February 2026 and came into force on 1 April 2026. The increases apply nationally, across every Deeds Office in the country.
The lodgement fee, which is charged every time a deed or document is submitted for registration, increased from R50 to R52 per lodgement. A few rand sounds minor. In practice, a standard transfer involves multiple documents being lodged, so the costs accumulate.
The registration fee for a transfer valued at R2 million is now R1,738. For a bond registration on a R3 million loan, the Deeds Office fee is R2,408. At the top end, transactions exceeding R20 million attract a maximum Deeds Office fee of R7,751. Bond registrations above the same threshold are capped at R9,690.
Replacing a lost title deed through a VA copy now costs R658. Copies of title deeds cost R109 each. Bond cancellations and section 4(1)(b) applications each attract a fee of R178.
Every buyer in a standard residential transfer will feel these increases, even if the amounts seem small in isolation. A first-time buyer in Cape Town purchasing a property for R2 million will pay the R1,738 Deeds Office transfer fee plus a separate bond registration fee if they are taking a home loan. Both fees increased this year.
In the Western Cape's higher-value property market, these figures scale accordingly. A buyer purchasing a R4 million home will find both the Deeds Office fees and their conveyancing lawyer's fees sitting considerably higher than those on a R1.5 million transaction. Understanding all three components, which are the attorney's professional fee, transfer duty and the Deeds Office fee, is the only way to budget accurately.
Your conveyancer should provide you with a full written cost estimate before any transaction is concluded. If they have not, ask for one. It should break out each item separately.
The Deeds Office fees and the conveyancing lawyer's professional fees are governed separately. The Deeds Office fees are set by the Department of Land Reform and Rural Development and published annually in the Government Gazette. The conveyancing fees are set by the Legal Practice Council and updated through their own guideline process.
As at April 2026, the LPC's conveyancing fee guidelines have not yet been updated for 2026. The current guidelines, which came into effect on 1 August 2025 with a 3.2% increase, remain in force. A further increase is expected later in 2026, in line with inflation. When that announcement comes, the total cost of a transfer will shift again.
Transfer duty, the tax paid to SARS on properties above the duty-free threshold, is not affected by the April 2026 Deeds Office changes. The transfer duty rates applicable from 1 April 2025 remain in place. The threshold at which transfer duty becomes payable sits at R1,210,000. Below that value, no transfer duty applies.
For a property at R2 million, transfer duty is calculated on the amount above R1,210,000. This is a significant cost in its own right and typically the largest single component of transfer costs on mid-to-upper value properties.
With fees moving across multiple categories and the cost of a transfer touching several different government and professional fee schedules, the detail matters. A conveyancing lawyer who stays on top of these changes and provides transparent, itemised quotes is not a luxury. It is the only way to avoid surprises at the point when your finances are already fully committed.
At Roberts Incorporated, we stay current with every fee update and provide our clients with clear cost breakdowns from the start. If you are planning a property transaction this year, contact us today for a quote that reflects the actual 2026 figures.
Most people walk into a property transaction focused on the purchase price. The deposit. The bond repayments. What they don't budget for, until they're staring at an invoice, are the transfer costs. And those costs can run into tens of thousands of rands.
This guide breaks down what transfer costs are, where they come from and how to calculate them before you're caught off guard.
Transfer costs are any fees, taxes, or charges paid to a third party as part of transferring ownership of an asset. In South Africa, the term most often comes up in property sales, but the principle applies anywhere money, assets, or services change hands between parties.
Think of it this way: the purchase price is what you pay the seller. Transfer costs are what you pay everyone else involved in making that transaction legally binding and administratively complete.
These are not optional line items. They're part of the deal and they need to be in your budget from day one.
Transfer duty is a government tax levied by SARS on the purchase of property. For the 2025/26 tax year, properties valued under R1,210,000 are exempt. Above that threshold, a sliding scale applies, currently starting at 3% and rising to 13% for properties above R2,722,000.
This is often the largest single transfer cost and it's non-negotiable. You pay it or the transfer doesn't go through.
One important note: transfer duty doesn't apply if the property is purchased from a VAT-registered seller (such as a developer selling a new build). In that case, VAT at 15% applies to the purchase price instead, usually already included in the sale price, but worth confirming in your offer to purchase.
Property transfers in South Africa must be handled by a conveyancing attorney. The seller typically appoints the attorney, but the buyer pays the fees.
These fees follow tariff guidelines set by the Law Society and are calculated on a sliding scale based on the purchase price. On a R1,500,000 property, you're looking at roughly R36,000 in attorney fees before disbursements. On a R3,000,000 property, expect upwards of R50,000.
On top of the base fee, there are deeds office fees (charged by the Deeds Registry for registration), postage and petties and FICA compliance costs. These are usually itemised separately on the attorney's account.
If you're financing the purchase through a home loan, the bond also has to be registered at the Deeds Office. This is handled by the bank's appointed bond attorney and again, the buyer pays.
Bond registration fees are calculated similarly to conveyancing fees. On a R1,200,000 bond, registration costs can be around R32,000. On a R2,000,000 bond, budget for around R41,000. Some banks offer to cover bond costs as part of a promotional offer, but read the fine print carefully, it's often recovered through a slightly higher interest rate.
If the property you're buying is in an estate or managed complex with a Homeowners' Association, there's likely an additional transfer fee payable to the HOA. This covers the administrative cost of updating ownership records, issuing levy clearance certificates and onboarding the new owner.
HOA transfer fees vary widely. Some charge a flat rate of R500 - R2,000. Others tie the fee to the property value. In upmarket estates, it's not uncommon to see HOA fees of R5,000 - R15,000. Ask the agent to confirm this upfront, it rarely makes it into early conversations.
Outside of property, transfer costs also arise in business contexts. When one division, subsidiary, or holding company charges another for goods or services, they use a transfer price to quantify that internal transaction.
This matters for tax compliance, SARS scrutinises related-party transactions closely. But it also affects how each entity's profitability is measured, which has downstream implications for management decisions, external reporting and investor analysis. Getting transfer pricing right in a corporate structure isn't just an accounting formality, it directly influences where profit is recognised and how much tax is paid.
Most South African property attorneys publish online transfer cost calculators. The South African Revenue Service also has a transfer duty calculator on their website. Use both. Run the numbers at the offer-to-purchase stage, not after the paperwork is signed.
A rough rule of thumb: on a standard resale residential property, budget an additional 8 - 10% of the purchase price to cover transfer duty, conveyancing fees, bond registration and incidentals. On a new development purchased from a developer, budget 3 - 5% (transfer duty replaced by VAT).
Transfer costs aren't a surprise if you plan for them. The buyers who get stung are usually the ones who focused entirely on whether they qualify for the bond and left no room in the budget for the rest. Build the full picture before you make an offer, your savings will thank you.
Whether you’re still exploring your options or ready to proceed, Roberts Incorporated is here to support you with the conveyancing process and ensure your transfer is handled professionally from start to finish.
Need help calculating transfer costs for a specific property? Our online calculator gives you an accurate estimate in minutes.