South Africa’s fiduciary profession continues to evolve at a remarkable pace, shaped by regulatory reform, technological innovation, increasing compliance obligations and changing client expectations. Against this backdrop, the Fiduciary Institute of Southern Africa’s (FISA) 16th Annual Conference sponsored by Hollard Court Bonds, taking place on 9 September 2026 at the Sandton Convention Centre, promises to address the issues that matter most to practitioners responsible for protecting clients’ wealth and legacies.
The FISA conference has gained a reputation as a landmark event in the fiduciary sector. Upwards of 350 people attend. This year, with the theme of Risk vs Reward in Fiduciary Practice, the conference aims, as before, to strike a balance between academic theory and practical application.
The programme reflects an industry that is becoming increasingly complex. Trustees, executors, estate planners and fiduciary advisers must now navigate heightened regulatory scrutiny while continuing to deliver practical, client-focused solutions. Rather than focusing solely on technical legal updates, the conference explores the broader challenges facing the profession, from governance and risk management to the opportunities presented by artificial intelligence.
Overview of topics and speakers
Opening the programme, Smartryk Calitz, Senior Manager at Mubesko Africa Business Specialists, will present Forensic Shields: Fortifying Estates & Trusts Through Vigilant Practice Management, highlighting how stronger governance and forensic practices can help elevate professional standards within an estate and trust practice.
Delegates will also hear from tax experts Nicole Paulsen and Andrew Wellsted, Directors at Osborn Wellsted Paulsen Attorneys. Nicole will unpack the proposed exchange control regulations and their implications for fiduciary professionals whilst Andrew will analyse the Constitutional Court’s landmark Absa Bank Ltd and Another v Commissioner for the South African Revenue Service judgment where the general anti-avoidance rule (GAAR) has recently been considered. He will look at the significance of this judgment for practitioners.
Technology and innovation also feature prominently. Azhar Aziz-Ishmail, founder and managing director at Merhaba Legal Innovation Consultants and Senior Manager, Practice Innovation at Baker & McKenzie attorneys, will explore AI as a Companion, Not Decision Maker, examining how artificial intelligence can enhance the fiduciary practice while reinforcing that professional judgment remains indispensable. Estate planning specialist and author Errol Meyer, founder of EGM Consulting, will discuss the taxation of life policies and how practitioners can avoid economic double taxation where policy ownership and the life assured do not align.
Governance remains a central theme throughout the day. Louis van Vuren, Executive Director at Finlac, will consider whether conflicts of interest should be viewed purely as a threat or whether they can present opportunities for stronger governance. Chanel Schoeman, Head of Fiduciary at Alpha Trust & Fiduciary, will conclude the speaker programme with The Fiduciary Paradox: Navigating Risk, Responsibility and Value Creation, examining how practitioners can balance increasing professional accountability with delivering meaningful value to clients. Delegates will also receive an important regulatory update from the office of the Chief Master, providing first-hand insight into developments affecting estates and trust administration.
One of the day’s highlights is expected to be a panel discussion on whether trust services remain commercially viable given the growing compliance, legal and operational liabilities facing trustees and trust service providers. The discussion will feature respected fiduciary specialists Phia van der Spuy, founder of Trusteeze, Dr Rika van Zyl, Senior Lecturer at the School for Financial Planning Law at UFS and Johnny Davis, Director and Head of Fiduciary at Phatshoane Henney Attorneys, who will debate one of the profession’s most pressing challenges.
You can register for the conference by 25 August 2026 here.
By Jan du Plessis, FISA CEO
