Editor’s Thoughts.

In a move supported by the industry, overnight the FSCA published RF Notice 8 of 2025, providing a conditional exemption for retail funds (those are retirement annuity and preservation funds) from complying with the requirements of S14(1) of the Pension Funds Act. Their view remains that making the transfers between retail funds subject to a less onerous process does provide some regulatory lenience, while still prioritising the protection of members.

Sticking with the legal and compliance theme, Bowmans have published their Africa Guide to Data Protection report for 2025, giving a snapshot of the regulatory landscape around the protection of personal data in 12 African countries. As South African retirement fund trustees and decision makers grapple with what compliance with Joint Standard 2 of 2024 looks like, it never occurred to me that we might need to consider the connectedness of it all. I’ll be chatting to the team at Bowmans in the coming days on the highlights.

And Anita Roodman (Simeka) unpacks two cases cited by the NFO in a recent media statement, reminding all role players of the need for the employer’s labour practices to align with the insurance policies that underwrite benefits.

There is no doubt, our industry is evolving – from the regulators, to the service providers and their business models, to the products and advice we provide. At EBnet we call those who embrace new ideas, tech, systems and models Evolutionaries. If you have an idea that you believe changes the course even 1 degree towards better outcomes for South Africans, please enter our Evolutionary Awards here. The process will take you two minutes, and you’ll put yourself in the position to be profiled amongst your peers at our 2025 Evolutionaries Conference.

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