This blog was co-authored by Adriaan Lourens, a Candidate Attorney.
In a May 2025 High Court judgment, the court held that, in the absence of a contractual provision expressly requiring written termination, an oral termination of a suretyship agreement is legally valid. This judgment provides useful guidance on the distinction between the formation and cancellation
In an April 2025 judgment, the High Court concluded that the defendant’s liability as a surety was not discharged by the release of the principal debtor under a business rescue plan (BR Plan). The BR Plan and the deed of suretyship were both clearly drafted to preserve the creditor’s right to claim from the surety.
This blog was co-authored by Adrienne Hendricks, Trainee Associate and Adriaan Lourens, Candidate Attorney.
In April 2025 the High Court dealt with a bank’s claim for payment of R15 million, plus interest and costs, brought against the surety of a company. The company, as principal debtor, had concluded a loan agreement with the bank but
In April 2025, the High Court ruled in favour of a bank in a monetary claim against two sureties. The court rejected the deceitful defences raised by the sureties regarding signature of the suretyship and made useful findings regarding video and other evidence of the signing.
The debtor breached the terms of its facility and
The court in Firstrand Bank Limited v Barreiro reconfirmed that there is no general ‘prejudice principle’ which holds that a debtor or surety is released from their obligations to a creditor if the creditor does anything that prejudices them. The court reiterated that a surety can be released, either wholly or in part, from their
The respondent in Airports Company SA Limited v Masiphuze Trading (Pty) Ltd was unsuccessful in relying on the defence of justifiable error in trying to avoid being bound by a suretyship agreement that he signed but did not read.
The respondent entered into a suretyship for a lease debt in respect of premises at the
The service of a summons on one surety does not interrupt the running of prescription in favour of a co-surety. Although the surety undertakes to be liable if the principal debtor does not pay the debt, the surety does not become a co-debtor with the principal debtor, nor does the surety become a co-debtor with
Where an order was sought declaring immovable property specially executable but no facts had been placed before the court by the defendant, the court authorised the sale.
The court held that to deny an order declaring a property specially executable where the summons clearly draws a debtor’s attention to their right to lead evidence and
Prejudice to a surety will only release the surety from liability if the prejudice is the result of a breach of a legal duty or obligation owed by the creditor. The primary sources of a creditor’s duties and obligations are the principal agreement and the suretyship. If the prejudice complained of results from conduct falling
Without deciding the point, the Supreme Court of Appeal in New Port Finance Company (Pty) Ltd v Nedbank Limited held that the decision in Tuning Fork (Pty) Limited v Greeff may not be correct in saying that where the principal debts are diminished or expunged by a business rescue plan the sureties are released accordingly.