South Africa’s 13 King V governance principles and where they fit

From board direction to management decisions

Principles 5 to 7 cover board composition, delegation to committees and delegation to management. Read them together to see who should be able to make which decisions, and where responsibility sits for oversight. Source 1

Strategy, risk and technology meet at the board

Principle 3 connects purpose and strategy to the organisation’s business model. Principle 8 asks how the organisation oversees risk to sustain its objectives, and Principle 10 covers its oversight of data and technology. A company’s disclosure can explain how these responsibilities relate in its own operations. Source 1 Source 2

How to follow a claim across reports

Principle 4 concerns what stakeholders can learn from external reporting. Principle 12 covers assurance, including the integrity of external reports. JSE Limited’s own 2025 reporting suite provides a separate King V disclosure alongside its governance, financial and sustainability reports. Source 1 Source 3

Which financial years are covered

IoDSA and the King Committee released King V on 31 October 2025. The effective date is tied to the start of a financial year. A 31 December year-end entity enters the first regular King V period on 1 January 2026. A 30 June year-end entity enters it on 1 July 2026. Source 2

Sources

• Institute of Directors in South Africa, King V on a Page
• Institute of Directors in South Africa, King V report and effective date
• JSE Limited, reporting suite and King V disclosure