The responsibility of running a company can be a mammoth and daunting task, especially for newly promoted directors. Directors are expected to ‘know their stuff’ – and it is ultimately up to them to ensure compliance with the Companies Act, which can be a formidable piece of legislation.

Knowing your way around the Companies Act and its regulations is only acquired by being able to look things up, understanding what is meant, and using this knowledge to make constructive input to board decisions.

This book has gathered related sections of the law into groupings – for example, auditors, directors, and records – and presents them in an easy-to-read style. The indexing of sections makes it possible to see what is required – for instance, with regard to appointing directors, removing them, remuneration, conflict of interests and more – in a single section instead of having to wade through the entire Companies Act to get the answers. As such, it provides a handy assembly of data on the various company-law topics all in one place – a boon for those who have not studied company law and need quick answers, or those who need a succinct refresher.

Abbreviations

1. Accounting records

2. Alterable provisions

3. Alternative dispute resolution

4. Annual financial statements

5. Annual return

6. Associated company

7. Audit committee

8. Auditors

9. Authorised share capital

10. Board evaluations

11. Business rescue

12. Capitalisation shares

13. Casting vote

14. Certificate of incorporation

15. Chairman

16. Close Corporation

17. Closed period

18. Committees

19. Companies

20. Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) 

21. Companies Tribunal

22. Company records

23. Company secretary

24. Compromise

25. Conversion of a private company to public and vice versa

26. Corporate governance

27. Deregistration of a company

28. Derivative actions

29. Dissenting shareholders’ appraisal rights

30. Director inductions

31. Directors

32. Directors’ report

33. Distributions

34. Financial assistance to purchase securities

35. Financial assistance to subsidiaries

36. Financial year end

37. Foreign company

38. Fundamental transactions

39. Holding company

40. Incorporation

41. Insider trading

42. Listing on a securities exchange

43. Loans to directors

44. Meetings of shareholders

45. Memorandum of Incorporation

46. Minutes

47. Names of companies

48. Non-executive directors

49. Non-profit companies

50. Oppression of minorities and others

51. Parties acting in concert

52. Perpetual succession

53. Personal liability companies

54. Pre-incorporation contracts

55. Prescribed officers

56. Price-sensitive information

57. Prospectus

58. Proxies

59. Reckless trading

60. Record date

61. Registered office

62. Related persons

63. Reserve capital

64. Resolutions proposed by shareholders

65. Rights issue

66. Ring fencing

67. Round robin resolutions (directors)

68. Round robin resolutions (shareholders)

69. Securities

70. Securities register

71. Share option schemes

72. Shelf companies

73. Social and ethics committee

74. Solvency and liquidity test

75. State-owned companies

76. Subsidiary company 

77. Takeovers 

78. Underwriters

79. Whistleblowing

80. Winding up

• Company secretaries
• Chartered accountants
• Directors
• Managing agents of bodies corporate
• Committees of voluntary associations
• Lawyers