Page 58 - Nexia SAB&T Trust Guide 2025

MASTER OF THE HIGH COURT OFFICES IN SOUTH AFRICA

Section 3 of the Trust Property Control Act deals with the jurisdiction of the
Master’s office in South Africa, in regard to a testamentary trust, and provides
that jurisdiction shall lie with the Master in whose office the testamentary writing
or a copy thereof is registered and accepted, and in any other case, with the
Master in whose area of appointment in terms of the Administration of Estates
Act (no. 66 of 1965), the greater or greatest portion of the trust property is
situated – provided that a Master who has exercised jurisdiction shall continue
to have jurisdiction notwithstanding any change in the situation of the greater or
greatest portion of the trust property.
An inter-vivos trust must be registered with the Master in whose area of
jurisdiction the greatest portion of the trust assets are situated. If more than one
Master has jurisdiction over the trust assets, the Master in whose office the trust
was first registered will continue to have jurisdiction.
A Master of the High Court is appointed for every provincial division of the High
Court of South Africa. Masters’ Offices are situated in Bloemfontein, Cape Town,
Grahamstown, Kimberley, Mmabatho/Mafikeng, Nelspruit, Pietermaritzburg,
Pretoria (Tshwane), Umtata, Bisho, Thohoyandou, Johannesburg, Polokwane,
Durban, and Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)

Disclaimer
We recommend that professional advice be sought before making any decisions
based on this guide’s contents or when dealing with any matters relating thereto.
The guide should not be treated as a substitute for advice. Professional advice must
therefore be sought in relation to any aspect referred to in this guide. All references to
the masculine gender shall include the feminine (and vice versa). While every care has
been taken in the compilation of this guide, no responsibility of any nature whatsoever
shall be accepted for any inaccuracies, errors or omissions.

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