Taking a gap year to work abroad? Get your documents apostilled!

Taking a gap year to work abroad? Get your documents apostilled! So you’ve decided to au pair in Europe or head East to go and teach, have you? The question is: have you had your South African documents properly legalised before you jet-off on your new adventure?

The person or company you intend on working for may require you to provide them with certain information or documents about yourself; for example a copy of your passport, your tertiary qualifications, South African Police Service clearance certificate, birth certificate etc. In order for you to be able to use your South African documents in another country, these documents will need to be verified in terms of the process known as legalisation.

Legalisation refers to the process whereby a document originating from one country is verified for purposes of it being lawfully used in another country. Depending on the destination country, your South African documents will either be legalised through the process of authentication or apostillisation.

VDT Attorneys can assist you to ensure that you start that new job knowing your documents are in order. Contact Hayley Levey on 012 – 452 1317 or send an e-mail to hayleyl@vdt.co.za for further assistance and information.

March 6, 2020
Protecting creators in the digital era – Copyright amendments

Protecting creators in the digital era – Copyright amendments

Nearly 5 decades after its original enactment, South Africa’s copyright regime is undergoing one of the most significant reforms in its history. The Copyright Amendment Bill [B13F-2017] introduces modern protections to secure the financial and digital interests of authors and performers, thereby strengthening their economic rights in an increasingly digital world. While parts of the Bill remain under constitutional review, a landmark 2025 court ruling has already enforced critical protections for users with disabilities. This article breaks down the primary measures intended to safeguard South African creativity.

The importance of due diligence in M&A

The importance of due diligence in M&A

The excitement of a merger or acquisition often sits in the “big picture” strategy, but the success of the deal lives or dies in the details. Due diligence is not a box-ticking exercise. It is the point at which assumptions are tested, risks are priced, and uncomfortable questions are asked. This article explores why looking before you leap, by conducting a thorough due diligence, is the golden rule of mergers & acquisitions (“M&A”) transactions.

Customary marriages stand equal

Customary marriages stand equal

In a landmark judgment delivered on 21 January 2026, the Constitutional Court pronounced welcomed clarity on the interplay between customary marriages, civil marriages, and antenuptial contracts (“ANC”). The Court, by majority decision in VVC v JRM and Others (CCT202/24) [2026] ZACC 2 (21 January 2026) , declined to confirm a High Court order that had declared section 10(2) of the Recognition of Customary Marriages Act 120 of 1998 (“the Recognition Act”) unconstitutional. The majority decision powerfully reaffirmed the equal constitutional status of customary marriages and established that spouses cannot unilaterally alter their matrimonial property regime without judicial oversight.

Sign up to our newsletter

Pin It on Pinterest