Electronic signatures legally binding
Electronic signatures have been given the legal thumbs up, following a recent appeal court judgement. “The decision provides long awaited certainty as to the effect of electronic communications in business, given technological developments in recent decades, and will...
Organisations underestimate POPI challenges
As local businesses wait for the Protection of Personal Information Bill (POPI) to officially be signed into law, Iain Wadds, regional pre-sales manager of SecureData Africa, believes many organisations are not doing enough to prepare for the far-reaching consequences...
E-mails to be binding in court
A ruling by the South African Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) on 21 November 2014 should be noted by anyone using e-mail, SMS and WhatsApp messaging, writes Ramsay Webber's Gareth Cremen. The landmark ruling determined that that e-mail negotiations and typed e-mail...
Paper could be the downfall of compliance
Organisations wanting to toe the compliance line when it comes to regulatory requirements linked to PoPI and FICA, must factor paper-based documentation into their governance, risk and compliance strategies, or run the risk of non-compliance, says Andrew Griffith,...
Dangers of voting against a business rescue plan
Creditors take heed: Not understanding business rescue and the Companies Act 71 of 2008 could see you voting against the business rescue plan. A creditor could be forced to sell his voting interests and claims against the company for little or no value to any affected...
POPI benefits SA companies
The Protection of Personal Information Act (POPI) is being seen as a compliance nightmare, but it could also be highly beneficial for South Africa, delegates heard at the IDC - Fortinet Advanced Threat Protection Network Security Conference in Sandton. The act is...
A signed e-mail can be a signed contract
In one of the most important judgments on contract law in recent years, the supreme court of appeal found that the exchange of e-mails by parties to a contract with each of the parties typing their first names at the end of the e-mails was sufficient to cancel a...
Certification places SA in global top three
ACORD (Association for Co-operative Operations Research and Development), the global non-profit organisation serving the insurance and related industries through the development of open consensus data standards and standard forms, offers a number of certifications in...
BSI wins ISO 27001 certification
Bytes Systems Integration (BSI) has enhanced its ISO certifications by adding the internationally recognised SANS / ISO 27001 certification - the information security management standard, to the company’s ISO 9001:2008 certification, which enhances its commitment to...
Major shakeup for debt collectors
Debt collectors in South Africa have been dealt a major blow, with the latest legislation demanding that any debt over three years old cannot be chased for collection. This new law is placing tremendous stress on debt collectors and on call centres that collect debt...
Understand how to comply with POPI
With the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPI) now in play, and the appointment of the Information Regulator and subsequent commencement imminent, businesses and professionals need to know how POPI will impact them. It is with this that Innovatec Africa in...
Excluding IT hinders ABC compliance
A well designed ABC compliance programme usually comprises of a number of prevention, detection and response elements, but many ABC due-diligence plans fail to involve the information technology (IT) department. This piecemeal approach is the Achilles Heel of ABC...