SAICA Issues Updated Guide on Statutory Regulatory Reporting Duties

Posted 16 October 2026 Written by Acts Online
Category Auditing & Accounting

Brought to you by SA Accounting Academy: The South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) has released an updated technical guide detailing mandatory regulatory reporting duties across 21 domestic statutes for the 2026 reporting cycle.

Statutory reporting obligations owed to regulatory authorities apply directly to Chartered Accountants [CA(SA)], Associate General Accountants [AGA(SA)], and Registered Auditors. The updated publication consolidates statutory reporting triggers, designated supervisory recipients, mandatory timeframes, and professional conduct requirements under core legislation, including the Companies Act, No. 71 of 2008, the Auditing Profession Act, No. 26 of 2005, and the Financial Intelligence Centre Act, No. 38 of 2001 (FICA).

The guidance, originally compiled by PwC and endorsed by SAICA, itemises regulatory reporting mandates in a tabular reference format across 21 statutes. It sets out the explicit legal parameters under which accounting practitioners must file statutory disclosures or reports regarding non-compliance, reportable irregularities, or suspicious financial activity.

Key Statutory Frameworks Covered

  • Companies Act, No. 71 of 2008: Mandatory reporting obligations applicable to independent reviewers and auditors concerning statutory non-compliance, governance breaches, and financial distress indicators.
  • Auditing Profession Act, No. 26 of 2005: Section 45 obligations for Registered Auditors regarding the identification and reporting of reportable irregularities to the Independent Regulatory Board for Auditors (IRBA).
  • Financial Intelligence Centre Act, No. 38 of 2001: Mandatory reporting obligations under section 29 (suspicious and unusual transactions), section 28 (cash threshold reporting), and section 28A (terrorist property) to the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC).
  • Specialised Sector Statutes: Regulatory disclosure duties covering 18 additional statutory frameworks governing financial markets, credit agreements, collective investment schemes, non-profit organisations, and retirement funds.

SAICA highlights that the guide serves as a practical compliance reference and is not an exhaustive substitute for primary statutory texts. Furthermore, it does not supersede binding standards and pronouncements issued by the IRBA, the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB), or the International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA), including requirements concerning Non-Compliance with Laws and Regulations (NOCLAR).

Click here to download the SAICA Regulatory Reporting Duties Guide 2026.

What this means for you, your business, or your clients

  • For yourself: Individual accounting and audit practitioners must review their engagement reporting protocols against the 21 listed Acts to ensure statutory reporting triggers and prescribed disclosure deadlines are strictly met.
  • For your business: Audit and accounting firms must update their engagement acceptance, quality management, and risk escalation procedures to align with updated regulatory reporting frameworks for the 2026 cycle.
  • For your clients: Client entities must maintain effective statutory compliance and internal controls to mitigate governance failures that trigger mandatory reporting to regulators such as CIPC, IRBA, or the FIC by their professional advisers.

Originally published at https://accountingacademy.co.za/news/read/saica-guide-on-regulatory-reporting-duties-updated

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