When there are no hold-ups or delays, a property transfer can be completed within three months in South Africa. Currently, however, six months is a safer bet.
In 2025, we are past the massive Deeds Office backlogs and service disruptions that occurred during the pandemic. However, loadshedding, combined with random office closures and inefficiency, are all contributing to on-going administrative backlogs and delays.
Beyond delays at the Deeds Office, the legal process involved in transferring a property involves a number of steps. Some of these can involve significant hold-ups.
Below we outline the steps involved and their typical durations, as well as common causes of delays.
Need funding while you wait? Lamna offers convenient property bridging finance.
Typical stages and time frames of South African property transfer
In order to understand why it takes so long, here’s what a typical property transfer in South Africa involves.
New bond application and approval
Once the offer to purchase has been signed, the buyer applies for a bank-approved bond. A bond attorney is appointed to draw up the paperwork. The fees are paid by the buyer.
Estimated turnaround time: up to four weeks.
Cancellation of existing bond
The seller appoints a transferring attorney. The existing bond cancellation figures are requested from the bank. The seller settles the outstanding bond amount. The original title deed is sent from the bank to the bond-cancellation attorneys.
Estimated turnaround time: allow for more time than the mandatory 90-day bond cancellation notice period.
Municipal clearance
The transfer documents are signed by both parties. Rates and taxes on the property are assessed. Outstanding amounts are paid by the seller. The municipality issues a municipal clearance certificate. Estimated turnaround time: 15 working days.
Payment of transfer duty
The transferring attorney pays the transfer duty to the South African Revenue Service on behalf of the buyer. SARS issues a transfer duty receipt.
Estimated turnaround time: 20 working days.
Documents lodged at Deeds Office
All the documents are lodged with the Deeds Office – bond approval and cancellation documents, clearance and compliance certificates, and receipts. If all is in order, the property is registered in the new owner’s name.
Estimated turnaround time: eight to 10 days.
Common causes of delays in the property transfer process
Of course, not every transfer is straightforward. The conditions of the sale can cause delays.
Property transactions, for example, may be subject to the sale of the buyer’s existing home. In current market conditions, the average listing time for property in South Africa is 67 days.
When a property is a sectional title unit, a levy clearance certificate is required from the body corporate. Issuance can take up to 20 working days.
Some other common causes of delays in the process include:
- a missing title deed for the property (obtaining a new one from the Deeds Office can take several weeks)
- an incomplete or inaccurate Deed of Sale (which could be the fault of the seller, buyer or real estate agent)
- delays in the seller signing bond and transfer documents or in providing necessary FICA documents to the attorneys
- cash flow issues on the part of the buyer, who may underestimate costs associated with the property transfer
- cash flow issues on the part of the seller, who may need to repay an outstanding bond and cover costs associated with buying and/or moving to a new property
- the need to cancel an existing bond – a process that takes at least three months.
Getting an advance loan in the form of property bridging finance
At Lamna, we offer fast, discreet property bridging finance – useful especially if a property transfer is taking longer than expected – in South Africa.
This type of finance lets you access proceeds from the sale of your property in advance. It can help you bridge the gap between the date of a property sale and the date of registration.
For more information, contact us on 086 111 2866 or simply complete and submit our online application form.
ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLE
Client borrows R10,000 for 90 days.
Loan Amount | Repayment Period | Monthly Interest | Total Cost of Loan | Initiation Fee | Monthly Fee | APR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
R10 000 | 3 months | R500.00 | R2 914.50 | R1 207.50 | R569.00 | 60% |
Fixed rates range from 36% to 60% APR and payment terms range from a minimum of 3 months to a maximum of 24 months. Apart from the initiation and monthly fees shown in the table, the only additional fee is credit life insurance if the borrower does not have this already.
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Property Sale Advance Loans
Property sale advance loans can give you access to the proceeds of a property sale before registration.