Estate agents: no BEE certificate needed to renew by 31 October

Estate agents and other property practitioners renewing their Fidelity Fund Certificate (FFC) before Saturday's 31 October deadline do not need to submit a BEE certificate. The Property Practitioners Regulatory Authority (PPRA) confirmed this at a media briefing on 27 October, saying no applicant will be refused an FFC solely for not having one (Moneyweb).

An FFC is the licence that lets you legally work as an estate agent or property practitioner. Without a valid one you can't operate, and working without the required certificate can carry criminal consequences (Sakeliga).

Why was the BEE certificate dropped?

On 8 September 2026 the Pretoria High Court ruled in favour of business group Sakeliga and declared section 50(a)(x) of the Property Practitioners Act unconstitutional. That section barred the PPRA from issuing an FFC to anyone without a "valid BEE certificate" (PPRA).

The court found the Act never says what a valid BEE certificate is: whether it means a verification certificate, a sworn affidavit or another document, who must provide it, or what BEE level it must show. It held that this failed the constitutional test of legal certainty and unjustifiably limited the right to choose a trade or profession (Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr).

Is the ruling final?

Not yet. A ruling that strikes down part of an Act of Parliament has no force until the Constitutional Court confirms it (PPRA). Sakeliga referred the case to the Constitutional Court on 14 October, asking it to confirm the ruling and to appeal parts it lost (Sakeliga).

In the meantime, the High Court's interim order applies, so the PPRA says it will not require a BEE certificate to issue an FFC (PPRA). PPRA CEO Thato Ramaili said the ruling does not repeal BEE law generally and will not slow the regulator's transformation work (Moneyweb).

The PPRA's earlier renewal notice still lists a firm's latest BEE certificate "if applicable" among the documents principals must send (PPRA). The regulator's latest position is that missing it is not a reason to refuse your FFC (Moneyweb).

What do you need to renew by 31 October?

The renewal window for certificates expiring on 31 December 2026 opened on 1 July and closes on 31 October 2026 (PPRA). According to the PPRA, you need:

• A completed and signed renewal application form, plus a copy of your ID (PPRA)
• The renewal fee of R2,865, paid by EFT using your seven-digit PPRA reference number (PPRA)
• For firms, an administration fee of R704, with the firm's F number as the payment reference (PPRA)
• For principals, the firm's latest tax clearance certificate (PPRA)

Email your documents to [email protected] with your seven-digit reference number in the subject line, for example "FFC Renewal: 1234567", and send each application separately (PPRA). The PPRA advises keeping proof of payment (Moneyweb).

Principals should renew first, because delays can lead to FFCs being cancelled for the firm and its employees (PPRA).

What happens if you miss the deadline?

Applications received after 31 October attract a penalty of R153 per practitioner for every month you are late, starting on 1 November 2026 (PPRA).

If your renewal invoice hasn't arrived after your application is processed, email [email protected]. The PPRA call centre is on 087 742 0000 (PPRA).

Do you need an FFC to sell your own house?

No, under the court's interim reading of the Act. A private person selling or advertising property they own in their personal capacity, and not as part of a business or property development, is excluded from the definition of a property practitioner. So is someone who only publishes another person's property advert (PPRA).

Sakeliga is asking the Constitutional Court to go further and also exclude property developers, bond brokers and property administrators from the Act (Sakeliga).

Can you get an exemption from other requirements?

The PPRA can grant exemptions under section 4 of the Act, mainly for candidates with relevant tertiary degrees and for firms that don't handle trust money. It granted 49 such exemptions in 2025/26 (The National).