FinGlobal

Have you worked for a few employers before leaving South Africa? Your retirement funds are probably spread across a preservation fund, an old provident fund and one or two retirement annuities.

You can bring some of them together, but the rules on what can move where are specific. A retirement annuity can only receive transfers, so a South African retirement annuity plus an old employer pension fund will always leave you with at least two products.

Consolidating does not change when you can access the money. That still depends on ceasing South African tax residency for three uninterrupted years.

What can move where, and what changed in July 2025:

Consolidating your South African retirement funds before you emigrate Consolidating retirement funds in South Africa before you emigrate: what can move where, what changed in 2025, and when you can withdraw.

A South African non-resident bank account can make managing your South African finances easier - but getting the account classification and documentation right is important.

How to set up and maintain a South African non-resident bank account How to open and maintain a non-resident South African bank account, including required documents and compliance.

South African living abroad with a retirement annuity still in South Africa?

You may be able to access your retirement annuity before age 55, but only if you've officially ceased South African tax residency and maintained non-resident status for three consecutive years. Understanding the SARS three-year rule is essential if you want to avoid delays and access your retirement savings successfully.

Read our article to learn what qualifies, how the process works, and what could delay your withdrawal.

Cashing in your South African retirement annuity before Age 55 The three-year rule changed retirement annuity withdrawals for South African expats. Learn the SARS and tax residency requirements.

South African seafarer or yachtie working abroad?

Working offshore doesn't automatically mean you're exempt from South African tax. SARS may still expect you to declare your foreign income, and qualifying for seafarers' tax relief depends on factors such as your tax residency status, time spent outside South Africa, and the nature of your employment.

This article explores the most common offshore tax compliance mistakes and what South African seafarers can do to avoid them.

Seafarers tax relief in South Africa: avoiding common offshore compliance mistakes For many offshore workers, including yacht crew, the most important relief provision is Section 10(1)(o)(i)(aa) of the Income Tax Act.

If you're a South African living abroad, SARS' Approval of International Transfer (AIT) process has changed the way international money transfers are assessed and approved. From stricter compliance checks to greater emphasis on your tax residency status, the rules have become more complex than ever.

Learn what these changes mean for your offshore transfers and how to avoid unnecessary delays. Read more:

SARS tightens grip on offshore transfers from South Africa SARS' AIT process has made offshore transfers more complex, with stricter approval, compliance, and tax residency requirements.

Thinking about cashing in part of your South African retirement fund before you retire?

SARS uses a different tax table for early withdrawals. The first R27 500 is tax free, compared with R550 000 if you wait until retirement.

There is also an aggregation rule. Every lump sum you have taken since 2007 is added together when SARS calculates the tax on your next one, so the tax free amount is available once in your lifetime.

Our new article breaks down both tables for the 2027 tax year, with worked examples in rands.

Understanding the lump sum tax tables on early withdrawal of South African retirement funds Withdrawing from a South African retirement fund before retirement? Here are the 2027 SARS lump sum tables, worked examples, and the aggregation rule.

Left South Africa and not sure what to do with your retirement annuity?

You have three choices, and each one has a different cost.

Freeze it and leave it invested. Maintain it and keep contributing. Or withdraw it if you have ceased your tax residency with SARS and three uninterrupted years have passed.

There is no single right answer. It depends on your age, whether you plan to return, and what your fund allows.

Our latest article sets out the pros and cons of each option, what SARS will tax you, and what you need before your money can leave South Africa.

Read it here

Three options for your South African retirement annuity Freeze, maintain, or withdraw your South African retirement annuity? A plain English guide to the tax, the three-year rule, and getting the money out.

Left South Africa without telling SARS?

Moving abroad does not automatically make you a South African tax non-resident.

Your tax residency status depends on more than where you live. Find out what expats need to know about tax emigration and SARS.

Read more: https://www.finglobal.com/2026/05/11/sars-financial-emigration-south-africa/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=blog&utm_term=BlogPost&utm_campaign=20260913-blog

Left South Africa without telling SARS? Here’s what expats need to know The official process is known as tax emigration. This happens when you formally cease tax residency in South Africa...