Nathalie Burrows, Editor at EBnet
Day 1 of the 30th Annual Pension Lawyers Association (PLA) Conference at the Sandton Convention Centre demonstrated why this event remains the key meeting point for South Africa’s retirement fund legal community. From the opening remarks, the focus was clear: pension law is no longer a niche (boring?) specialisation – it sits at the intersection of social protection, financial stability and governance in an increasingly complex regulatory environment.
I know what you’re thinking: pension funds move at glacial speed and it’s easy to keep up. After Day 1, I’d challenge that POV.
What’s special about this year’s conference is that the PLA is celebrating its 30 year anniversary, three decades of gathering together and sharing thinking with what can only be described as good friends. Kobus Hanekom, the founder of the PLA, took delegates on a trip down memory lane – reflecting on how far we’ve come over these years. DB to DC, member trustees, surplus legislation, pension reform, ESG investing, default regulations, two-pot … seismic shifts in the retirement landscape.
Other speakers and panels hit all the current issues that the modern day retirement fund has on its agenda – emphasising the broader policy context in which funds and their advisors now operate. And highlighting how retirement reforms, heightened conduct expectations and evolving supervision are reshaping the duties of trustees, manco’s and their service providers.
Section 13A contribution issues – what are the developments there? Is the industry ready for the new Reporting Requirements for Pension Funds? What about trustee remuneration? None of these topics were off limits – each being interrogated openly. And while we’re on the topic of seismic shifts, one of the sessions that had the conference buzzing, was Danny Saskenberg’s talk on AI.
But this conference, I’m not going to write about it, I’m going to talk you through it. And so click here for EBnet’s dedicated page of interviews from our podcast booth at the conference where you can hear the highlights straight from the pro’s themselves.
- Does Fiona Rollason, Head of Legal at Alexforbes, think the industry is ready for the new reporting requirements facing pension funds? Where are the snags? What do you need to know?
- Deirdre Phillips, Partner at Bowmans, delves into trustee remuneration, asking some pretty tough questions and drawing unexpected conclusions from the latest PwC rem survey.
- Elise Burns-Hoffman, an Occupational Therapist and claims specialist, talks disability benefits and how practically the role of the employer and the fund connect, and how best to deal with what can sometimes be a tricky employee benefit.
- Tshepo Mokoana, Senior Associate at Bowmans, shares updates on S13A pension fund contributions and answers a question you’ve all asked me more than once: when are we going to see serious sanction for repeat offenders?
- And what does Danny Saskenberg really think of AI regulation? Or being operated on by machines? Or letting agentic AI manage his hedge fund?
To quote Danny after I may have admitted to having my mind blown by what the (very near) future looks like, “It’s an exciting time to be alive”. This year’s PLA is certainly providing food for thought around many of the hottest conversations in our industry right now.
ENDS
