17/09/2026
The Sanlam Legacy 2026 Wills Survey landed this week, right at the start of National Wills Month. It found that only 28% of South Africans have a will that is signed, witnessed and safely stored. 65% have no will at all.
The interesting part is that people are not uninformed. 77% said they feel confident about how wills and estates work. They just have not done it yet.
And of the people who do have a will, 39% have never told the person who will wind up their estate where the document is or what is in it.
So here is what actually makes a will valid in South Africa:
You must be 16 or older.
It has to be in writing. No voice notes, no video.
You sign every page, and again at the end.
Two witnesses aged 14 or older must watch you sign, then sign it themselves.
And the one that catches people out: anyone who signs your will as a witness is disqualified from inheriting from it. So is their husband or wife. A court can lift that in limited cases, but it is not something you want to rely on.
National Wills Week runs from 14 to 18 September. Good excuse to finally sort it out, or to check that the will sitting in your cupboard still says what you think it says.
We draft wills and wind up estates every week, and we have been doing it since 1996. If you want yours done properly the first time, come talk to us.
www.dvpattorneys.co.za
