Sectional Title Risk Intelligence

Exposing Hidden Risk
in South Africa's
Property Sector

Most sectional title schemes hold less than 10% of their required reserve fund. Banks, trustees and buyers carry this risk without knowing it. SchemeGuard makes it visible.

50,000+
Registered Schemes in SA
5–10%
Average Reserve Funding
R100B+
Estimated Unfunded Liability
0%
Schemes Fully Compliant
The Problem

A Systemic Crisis Hiding in Plain Sight

South Africa's STSMA requires every body corporate to maintain a fully-funded 10-year Maintenance, Repair and Replacement Plan. Almost none do.

⚠️ No Reserve Fund Planning

Most schemes have no credible MRRP as required by PMR 22 of the STSMA Regulations. Where plans exist, they are typically backwards-engineered to justify the current (inadequate) reserve balance.

💸 Critically Underfunded

Our pilot analysis of 9 KwaZulu-Natal schemes shows average reserve fund adequacy of just 6.3% of the required target. Not a single scheme meets the standard.

🏦 Banks Exposed

Lenders hold bonds over units in schemes carrying R100B+ in unfunded maintenance liabilities — risk that appears nowhere in credit assessments or transfer documentation.

⚖️ Trustees Personally Liable

Trustees who fail to maintain the MRRP and fund the reserve adequately face personal liability, removal from office, and potential CSOS enforcement orders — most are unaware.

The Legal Framework

Clear Obligations.
Widespread Non-Compliance.

PMR 22 of the STSMA Regulations is unambiguous. Every scheme must have a written, AGM-approved 10-year plan covering six statutory elements.

Sectional Titles Act 95/1986

Creates and registers sectional title schemes

STSMA 8/2011 — Section 3

Mandates reserve fund establishment and maintenance

PMR 22 — STSMA Regulations

Requires detailed 10-year MRRP with 6 statutory elements

PMR 24(2)

Reserve fund ring-fenced exclusively for MRRP implementation

PMR 22 Requires — Per Capital Item:

List of all major capital items expected to require attention within 10 years
Current condition or state of repair of each item
Timing of when each item will need maintenance or replacement
Estimated cost of maintenance, repair and replacement
Expected life of items once maintained or replaced
Approved by body corporate at a general meeting annually
Trustee implementation report presented at every AGM
How It Works

Two Scores. One Overall Rating.

SchemeGuard produces a composite risk score combining MRRP compliance and financial health into a single, actionable rating for every scheme.

MRRP & Reserve Score — 50%
Reserve Fund Adequacy % 30%
Contribution % of Levies 25%
Scheme Age 20%
Maintenance Spend Trend 15%
Auditor Comment 10%
Financial Health Score — 50%
Surplus / Deficit Ratio 25%
Levy Collection Efficiency 25%
Current Ratio (Liquidity) 20%
Unplanned Maintenance % 15%
Admin Cost Ratio 15%
● Critical < 1.5
● High Risk 1.5–2.5
● Moderate 2.5–3.5
● Low Risk 3.5–4.5
● Adequate > 4.5
Real Data — Pilot Analysis

9 Schemes. Zero Adequately Funded.

Our KwaZulu-Natal pilot analysis reveals a consistent pattern: schemes are financially managed with reasonable competence, but universally failing on long-term capital planning.

Scheme Overall Rating
Scheme A2.21High Risk
Scheme B2.29High Risk
Scheme C2.58Moderate
Scheme D2.74Moderate
Scheme E2.85Moderate
Scheme F2.86Moderate
Scheme G2.99Moderate

Latest year submissions, sectional title schemes only

📊

Average reserve adequacy: 6.3%

The typical scheme holds just 6.3% of its MRRP-required reserve fund. The statutory minimum contribution floor is already being breached by most.

📈

Financial health is reasonable (avg 3.85)

Schemes are collecting levies, managing expenses and maintaining liquidity — the MRRP underfunding is the singular dominant drag on overall scores.

📉

Two schemes deteriorated to High Risk in 2025

Bordeaux and The Beacon both moved from Moderate to High Risk between 2024 and 2025 — an early warning signal the data makes visible.

⚠️

Trustees carry R10M+ personal exposure

In schemes with large insured values, the unfunded MRRP liability per scheme can exceed R100M — and trustees are personally exposed for non-compliance.

Who We Serve

Multiple Entry Points Across
the Property Ecosystem

Every participant in the sectional title value chain carries reserve fund risk. SchemeGuard makes it measurable for all of them.

🏦

Banks & Lenders

4 major banks + 20+ niche lenders

Unpriced reserve fund risk sits in every sectional title mortgage book. No systematic assessment tool currently exists at origination or portfolio level.

Portfolio risk screening and bond origination due diligence reports
🏢

Managing Agents

500+ firms managing 50,000 schemes

Trustees are unaware of their obligations and managing agents carry reputational and liability risk when schemes they manage are non-compliant.

Compliance dashboard, trustee reports and MRRP preparation support
⚖️

Conveyancers & Attorneys

Pre-purchase due diligence market

Buyers acquire undisclosed contingent liabilities at transfer. A pre-purchase reserve fund assessment is a genuine consumer protection product.

Pre-purchase reserve fund assessment report per scheme
👥

Body Corporates & Trustees

250,000+ trustees across South Africa

Most trustees serve without any training on their statutory obligations. Personal liability exposure is real, immediate and largely unknown.

Trustee risk awareness reports and compliance road maps
Services & Pricing

Scalable from Single Scheme
to Portfolio Intelligence

From a single trustee briefing to a bank-wide portfolio screen — SchemeGuard has a service for every level of engagement.

Entry Level

Scheme Report

R2,500

Single scheme compliance assessment covering MRRP status, reserve fund adequacy, composite risk score and trustee liability summary.

Conveyancer Ready

Pre-Purchase Report

R1,500

Buyer due diligence report on reserve fund position and unfunded liability exposure prior to unit transfer. Delivered within 48 hours.

Volume Pricing

Portfolio Screen

R500/scheme

Bank or managing agent portfolio screening using AFS data. Risk-rated output with adequacy ratios and composite scores across all schemes.

Liability Protection

Trustee Compliance Pack

R3,500

Full PMR 22 compliance report, trustee briefing document and 10-year MRRP framework template. Protects trustees from personal liability claims.

Recurring Revenue

Annual Monitoring

R1,800/yr

Year-on-year tracking of scheme financial health and MRRP funding progress. Delivered with each set of annual financial statements.

High Value

Expert Witness / CSOS

POA

Expert analysis and report preparation for CSOS disputes or litigation involving reserve fund non-compliance and trustee liability.

Ready to See What Your Schemes Are Really Worth?

Submit three scheme AFS sets for a complimentary pilot assessment — no obligation. See your schemes scored, rated and benchmarked against our dataset.

01

Pilot Programme

Submit 3 scheme AFS sets for complimentary risk assessment reports.

02

Portfolio Discussion

Banks and managing agents: 30-minute portfolio screening demonstration.

03

Trustee Briefing

Free awareness session on PMR 22 obligations and personal liability exposure.

Contact SchemeGuard