King V Report on Corporate Governance for South Africa, 2025

King V, the fifth iteration of South Africa’s corporate governance reports, was released on 31 October 2025 by the Institute of Directors in South Africa and the King Committee of South Africa. It supersedes King IV and is effective for financial years beginning on or after 1 January 2026, with early adoption encouraged.

The release of King V comes nine years after King IV, during which the governance landscape has shifted dramatically. Organisations today face intensifying challenges. At the same time, new regulatory developments have raised expectations of boards and governing bodies. King V responds to these realities by:

• Aligning with recent legislative reforms and global governance and reporting developments.
• Simplifying the Code’s language, structure and presentation to make it more accessible and practical across sectors.
• Standardising disclosure requirements through a dedicated King V Disclosure Framework, promoting consistency and comparability across organisations.
• Refining principles and practices.

Together, these updates position King V as a robust, forward-looking Code to guide ethical and effective leadership in South Africa.