Digital Reform at The Master of High Court Shows Progress But Challenges Persist
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The Master of the High Court—South Africa’s state authority tasked with overseeing the administration of deceased estates and Trusts—has begun its long-awaited digital transformation. After years of public frustration over slow, manual processes, the Department of Justice launched an online portal in 2023 to modernise estate and Trust registrations.
While widely hailed as a breakthrough, legal practitioners caution that the system’s patchy rollout and lingering inefficiencies mean it is not yet the silver bullet the public had hoped for.
Stacy Rouchos, Managing Director of Bannister Trust and Estate Planning advisor to Hobbs Sinclair Advisory, says the shift to digitisation has laid critical groundwork—but it has yet to solve the real-world delays that continue to hinder estate administration in South Africa.
“The digital system makes it easier to access and submit documentation, which is a win,” Rouchos adds. “But in practical terms, we’re still seeing turnaround times for Letters of Executorship stretch to six weeks or more—far beyond the Department’s stated 21-working-day target.”
The Department of Justice had promised a more responsive process, including SMS and email updates, as well as digitised files that Master’s office staff could retrieve more efficiently. The addition of QR codes to newly issued Letters of Authority and Executorship is one of the more visible advances—allowing financial institutions to verify documents instantly and reduce fraud.
“It’s a simple but powerful feature,” says Rouchos. “It’s also the kind of change we need more of—changes that reduce risk, increase transparency, and eliminate unnecessary back-and-forth.”
However, the system currently supports only new deceased estate and inter vivos Trust registrations. Any amendments to existing Trusts, and most matters relating to older estates, still require in-person manual submissions. Public users and legal professionals continue to report system bugs in the portal, unclear instructions, and inconsistent functionality across different provinces.
“In Johannesburg, we’re seeing encouraging traction. But in Cape Town and Pretoria, processes can be significantly slower and less reliable,” Rouchos notes. “The lack of standardisation undermines confidence in what could otherwise be a transformative platform.”
For many families, the delay in estate finalisation is far more than an administrative inconvenience—it has real financial consequences. Reporting indicates that estates in South Africa often take two to five years to wind up, leaving beneficiaries without access to funds during difficult times. This is exacerbated by further bottlenecks at institutions like SARS, where post-death tax clearance certificates can take three months or longer to be issued.
“Clients are understandably frustrated when they hear about a new digital system and assume it means speed and efficiency—only to find that half the process is still offline and beyond their control,” explains Rouchos. “We see families waiting months just to be granted formal authority to manage their loved one’s affairs.”
Despite these challenges, Rouchos believes the intent behind the reforms is sound—and hopes that the digital infrastructure will evolve with better project management, more comprehensive staff training, and full national implementation.
“There’s no question this system has potential. But potential alone isn’t enough,” she says. “It must deliver in practice—across all provinces, all file types, and all users.”
As South Africa’s digital transformation continues, legal experts urge families and executors to remain vigilant, ensure original documentation is lodged timeously, and keep realistic expectations about how quickly estates can be resolved.
Stacy Rouchos BCom, LLB is Managing Director at Bannister Trust and Estate Planning Consultant at Hobbs Sinclair