How smart is a smart contract?
Although smart contracts have become a hot topic due to the blockchain revolution, the term "smart contract" was first actually used back in the 1990's by American computer scientist Nick Szabo. By Tebogo Motloutsi, CA and Danie Pienaar, partner at Spoor & Fisher...
Antibribery standardisation can help win business confidence back
As unfortunate as it is, the reality is bribery and corruption are rife globally. According to auditor Deloitte, about two-thirds of all fraud reported in India has a corruption angle to it. In 2019 alone, companies with operations in the United States paid or agreed...
The IP laws of the metaverse and beyond
When Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, announced on 28 October 2021 that the company's corporate name will be changed to Meta Platforms, the world's interest was piqued by his use of the term "metaverse". What does this term really encompass and what are the...
ESG: tick-box exercise or a true risk differentiator?
Although not new, Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) issues have become a key focus in the last 18-24 months, in part driven by growing awareness of environmental and equity and inclusion issues, as well as the health and wellness impacts of Covid-19. The...
Data privacy: don’t let the pandemic loosen your guard
No doubt, growing awareness of data privacy has enhanced how people take care of their personal information. By Barry Cook, data protection office at VFS Global But there are times when we tend to drop our guard, and mostly these are phases when we are anxious. For...
Managing Covid-19 after the National State of Disaster
A new Code of Practice has been issued to guide employers on measures that need to be taken in the workplace to contain Covid-19 infections, once the National State of Disaster ends. By Kate Collier, partner, Mehnaaz Bux, partner and Jenna Atkinson, associate at...
Directors face potential liability for climate change risks
Directors face potential liability if they fail to carry out their fiduciary duties to curb climate change risks and do not make complete disclosures about climate-related risks. By Merlita Kennedy, partner and Tobia Serongoane, associate from Webber Wentzel Climate...
Directors face potential liability for climate change risks
Directors face potential liability if they fail to carry out their fiduciary duties to curb climate change risks and do not make complete disclosures about climate-related risks, write Merlita Kennedy, partner and Tobia Serongoane, associate from Webber Wentzel....
Compliance is not a compromise
Data Privacy Day, took place on 28 January, is an international annual event that highlights the importance of data protection and compliance in a high-risk world. The World Bank describes it as an international focus on the ‘importance of respecting privacy,...
Certification provides assurance
The South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) conducts a range of tests against South African National Standards (SANS), as well as customer specific requirements and/or testing against compulsory specifications that may be issued for certain product categories. The...
Data management and protection strategy vital to ensure PoPIA compliance
Data management and protection can be a complex task, and a ‘one size fits all’ approach cannot be applied for every organisation. By Gary Allemann, MD of Master Data Management With volumes of data increasing at an alarming rate, having a clear, well-defined data...
Proposed model and legislation for an APA Programme in SA
SARS has published a draft model and proposed legislation to establish an advance pricing agreement programme and is inviting comments on it by the end of January. By Karen Miller, consultant, and Joon Chong, partner at Webber Wentzel In 2020, SARS released a draft...