Latest news with #DepartmentofLandReformandRuralDevelopment
IOL News
14-05-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Traditional leadership demands action on rural neglect in upcoming National Budget
The Loteni Road in the Himeville small village/town situated in the foothills of the Southern Drakensberg of the KwaZulu-Natal province. . Picture: Supplied by Kwanalu This was said by Kgosi Nyalala Pilane, leader of the Bakgatla Ba Kgafela tribe ahead of the third budget to be presented by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana next week. The upcoming National Budget must also directly address the structural neglect of rural communities and formally incorporate traditional leadership into South Africa's long-term development planning. Kgosi Pilane said it was vital that the national budget goes beyond macroeconomic targets to focus on foundational infrastructure that enables local economies to grow. 'Government must understand that infrastructure is the cornerstone of economic development. No investor will consider establishing operations in a community without roads, electricity or water. The continued failure to address these basic needs perpetuates poverty and undermines national growth.' According to the traditional institution's website, the Bakgatla-ba-Kgafela tribe resides in the North West Province under the jurisdiction of the Moses Kotane Local Municipality in the vicinity of Sun City. Its tribal capital is the village of Moruleng, some three kilometres from Bakgatla Gate on the edge of the Pilanesberg National Park. It is said to comprise 32 villages spread across an area of 160 000 hectares in the Bojanala District and Moses Kotane Local Municipality. In Vote 42 on Land Reform and Rural Development published by the National Treasury recently, the document said the purpose of this vote was to provide equitable access to land, integrated rural development, sustainable agriculture and food security for all. It added that the mandate of the Department of Land Reform and Rural Development is to facilitate equitable access to land, promote comprehensive rural development and address the historical injustices of land dispossession by implementing land restitution programmes and supporting sustainable livelihoods across rural areas. The Vote said the Rural Development Programme's purpose is to facilitate rural development strategies for socioeconomic growth. It added that it must also promote an integrated and inclusive rural economy through the coordination and implementation of rural development strategies over the medium term. Subprogrammes include include the National Rural Youth Service Corps provides social organisation, youth development and economic upliftment in rural areas. Another one is the Rural Infrastructure Development facilitates infrastructure development in rural areas, and the Technology Research and Development develops and adapts innovative and appropriate technologies in rural areas. The vote said Rural Development Coordination facilitates, coordinates and supports the planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting on rural development initiatives and programmes implemented by departments in all spheres of government, in line with the integrated rural development sector strategy and comprehensive rural development programme, to ensure access to socioeconomic development services.
IOL News
30-04-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Electronic Deeds Registration System (eDRS) launched: transforming land registration in South Africa
The launch of the Electronic Deeds Registration System (eDRS) is said to be a significant advancement of South Africa's land registration system as well as the provisioning of deeds registration information to clients and the public. Picture: Henk Kruger/Independent Newspapers Image: Henk Kruger/Independent Newspapers The Department of Land Reform and Rural Development has, through the office of the Chief Registrar of Deeds, announced the launch of the Electronic Deeds Registration System (eDRS) on Tuesday, April 2. This is said to be a significant advancement of South Africa's land registration system as well as the provisioning of deeds registration information to clients and the public. In a press statement, the Department said the Electronic Deeds Registration Systems Act 19 of 2019 is in full operation from today as per Proclamation 250 of 2025. 'It provides for the Chief Registrar of Deeds to develop, establish and maintain the electronic deeds registration system by using information and communications technologies for the preparation, lodgement, registration, execution and storing of deeds and documents,' it said. Land Reform and Rural Development said the eDRS aims to ultimately replace the manual registration processes with digital streamlined systems that use technology to ensure improved security, reduce turnaround times and curb corruption. Additionally, it said this platform will allow practitioners to lodge deeds directly from any location in the country to the designated office for registration of properties. Key features of the eDRS include information provisioning - the online portal is now accessible to the public for all information related to registered deeds and documents. It also includes electronic access as Deeds Registries' registers and documents are currently available to clients without the need to physically visit a Deeds Registry. Pilot phase where the electronic registration process and related system module, has entered a pilot process, after which it will be rolled out to the entire user base. According to the department, the dual registration process will be in place over the next five years, allowing for both manual and electronic lodgement and registration at the discretion of the conveyancer. 'Once registration is completed electronically, manual registration will no longer be permitted. The manual registration procedure will be phased out gradually and will ultimately be replaced by an electronic system.' It added that the eDRS will be further enhanced to cater for outstanding registration procedures to repeal the Deeds Registries Act 47 of 1937 and the Electronic Deeds Registration System Act 19 of 2019 with a new legislation expected to be concluded by 2030. It is also envisaged that all deeds registration processes will, at this point, be solely electronic. Last month, Clive Bredenkamp, Proptech IT Executive at e4, said the property transfer process is an intricate web of communications and approvals, historically bogged down by legacy systems and paper-based interactions. He said the digital transformation and solutions that automate cumbersome processes and property transfers happen much faster and far more efficiently than ever. 'One of the most compelling advantages of this evolution is the substantial financial impact for banks. Every single day shaved off the property registration timeline can translate into savings and early revenue recognition in excess of R10 million per day,' Bredenkamp says. The technology company specialising in digitalisation said faster property transfers are a win/win for everyone as traditional property transfer processes can take anywhere from 60 to 90 days, requiring extensive coordination between multiple stakeholders, including banks, attorneys, the Deeds Office, SARS, municipalities, and more. It said any delay at any stage slows the entire chain, impacting all parties involved. 'For banks, reducing this timeline means earning interest sooner, improving cash flow, and freeing up operational resources. For attorneys, a streamlined process allows room to handle more transactions more efficiently. "And, of course, for buyers and sellers, the ability to sell up and move into a home faster alleviates stress and logistical challenges.' Bredenkamp said the digitisation of the Deeds Office will mark the final step in creating a fully digital property transfer ecosystem. 'When this happens, the efficiencies created by digital solutions will become even more pronounced.' He added that the concept of Straight-Through Processing (STP), a fully automated home loan origination and fulfilment process with minimal human intervention is also gaining traction. The closer the industry moves towards STP, the more financial institutions will benefit from reduced processing costs and improved service delivery, Bredenkamp said. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. 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Zawya
04-04-2025
- Business
- Zawya
South Africa: Land registration goes digital with new deeds system
The Department of Land Reform and Rural Development has officially launched the Electronic Deeds Registration System (eDRS), marking a major advancement in the country's land registration process. This initiative, managed by the office of the Chief Registrar of Deeds, aims to revolutionise the way deeds and documents are processed, providing more efficient access to deeds registration information for both clients and the public. The eDRS, now fully operational under the Electronic Deeds Registration Systems Act 19 of 2019, in accordance with Proclamation 250 of 2025, utilises information and communication technologies to streamline the preparation, lodgement, registration, execution, and storage of deeds and documents. This system is designed to replace manual registration processes, offering a more secure, faster, and efficient way of registering property deeds. It also allows practitioners to submit deeds from any location in the country to the designated registration office, reducing turnaround times and helping to combat corruption. Key features of the eDRS include: - Information provisioning: The online portal is now accessible to the public for all information related to registered deeds and documents. - Electronic access: Deeds Registries' registers and documents are currently available to clients without the need to physically visit a Deeds Registry. - Pilot phase: The electronic registration process and related system module have entered a pilot process, after which it will be rolled out to the entire user base. A dual registration process will be in effect for the next five years, allowing conveyancers to choose between manual and electronic lodgement and registration. However, once registration is completed electronically, manual registration will be phased out, with the manual process gradually replaced by the electronic system. As part of ongoing improvements, the eDRS will be further developed to accommodate outstanding registration procedures. The goal is to repeal both the Deeds Registries Act 47 of 1937 and the Electronic Deeds Registration System Act 19 of 2019, with new legislation expected by 2030. By this time, all deeds registration processes are anticipated to be fully electronic. The system can be accessed (in a limited capacity) at
