About this calculator
The costs split into two families. The transfer side moves the property: transfer duty to SARS (nothing at or below R1,210,000 on the bands in force since 1 April 2025, then marginal rates of 3%, 6%, 8%, 11% and 13%), the transfer attorney’s conveyancing fee, and the Deeds Office levy for registering the transfer. The bond side secures the loan: a second attorney, appointed by the bank, registers the mortgage bond for a fee on the same tariff scale, with its own deeds levy, plus the bank’s once-off initiation fee. Both attorney fees carry 15% VAT. A cash purchase deletes the entire bond side — one reason cash buyers can negotiate harder than the headline price suggests.
One label matters here: the attorney figures are the Law Society of South Africa’s guideline tariff (the schedule effective 1 July 2026), not fixed charges. Conveyancing fees are negotiable in law and some firms discount or add disbursements differently, so treat this calculator as the statement a full-tariff practice would issue — a firm quote can come in lower, and on complex transfers (subdivisions, deceased estates, sectional title with exclusive-use areas) disbursements for rates clearances, levy certificates and deeds searches add a few thousand rand more.
How to use it
- Enter the price and the bond amount (zero for cash — watch the bond side disappear).
- Set the seller status: a VAT-vendor developer means no transfer duty, because VAT is built into the price of a new unit.
- Read the statement line by line — every figure a conveyancer will list is here, including the VAT split and both deeds levies.
- Compare your actual attorney quote against the tariff rows: that is the honest way to see a discount, or a premium.
The formula
At the defaults — R2,000,000 price, R1,800,000 bond — duty is R33,786 (R13,614 plus 6% of the slice above R1,663,800), the transfer fee R36,875 and the bond fee R34,755, each plus 15% VAT, deeds levies R1,738 on both sides, and the initiation fee R6,038. The statement totals R125,779: 6.3% of the price, payable in cash to the conveyancer before lodgement. Buy at R1,000,000 cash instead and the whole statement is R31,814 — duty zero, no bond side at all.
Worked example
Sectional title adds items this calculator does not hide from you but cannot price: the body corporate levy clearance certificate, a possible levy stabilisation fund contribution, and the managing agent’s fees are charged per scheme. Budget a few thousand rand on top of the statement for a flat or townhouse, and ask the conveyancer for the full pro-forma account — a standard request — before you sign.
Sources: SARS transfer duty table in force from 1 April 2025 (unchanged for 2026/27); Law Society of South Africa Guideline Conveyancing Fees effective 1 July 2026 (guideline only — actual fees are negotiated); Deeds Office levy schedule under GN 7180, Gazette 54225; initiation fee cap under the National Credit Act. Last updated: October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Are attorney fees really negotiable in South Africa?
Yes. The Law Society publishes a guideline tariff and states explicitly that it is a guideline: conveyancers may charge more or less by agreement, and many firms compete on it. What is not negotiable is the structure — you will pay a transfer fee and, with a bond, a bond registration fee, each plus 15% VAT, whoever you use. Get the quote in writing as a full statement, not a single number.
Why is there no transfer duty on a new development?
Because the transaction is a VAT supply instead. When the seller is a VAT-registered developer, VAT (15%) is charged within the price and no transfer duty is payable — the two taxes are alternatives, never both. On an expensive new build the VAT inside the price usually exceeds the duty a second-hand purchase would have carried; on paper the buyer "saves the duty", in substance the tax just moved.
When do I actually pay these costs?
Before registration. The conveyancer issues a pro-forma statement once the sale is unconditional, and the duty must be paid to SARS (the attorney obtains the transfer duty receipt), the fees covered, and guarantees in place before the deeds are lodged. Expect to pay several weeks before you get the keys — registration itself follows lodgement by roughly one to two weeks.
What does the bank initiation fee cover, and can it be capitalised?
It is a once-off fee for processing the credit agreement, capped under the National Credit Act — R1,050 plus 10% of the amount by which the agreement exceeds R10,000, to a maximum of R6,038 including VAT, the figure most banks charge. Banks usually offer to add it to the loan rather than take it in cash; over 20 years at prime that convenience roughly triples its cost, so paying it in cash is the better arithmetic.
Who pays the seller’s costs — and the agent’s commission?
The seller pays their own attorney (for bond cancellation and the transfer documents) and the estate agent’s commission, which is the seller’s contractual cost, usually deducted from the proceeds. The buyer’s statement is the one in this calculator. Rates and levies are apportioned at registration: the seller settles to the date of transfer, the buyer reimburses from that date.
What formula does this south africa transfer & bond costs calculator use?
Total = duty(price) + transfer fee × 1.15 + bond fee × 1.15 + deeds levies + 2 × R52 lodgement + initiation fee At the defaults — R2,000,000 price, R1,800,000 bond — duty is R33,786 (R13,614 plus 6% of the slice above R1,663,800), the transfer fee R36,875 and the bond fee R34,755, each plus 15% VAT, deeds levies R1,738 on both sides, and the initiation fee R6,038. The statement totals R125,779: 6.3% of the price, payable in cash to the conveyancer before lodgement. Buy at R1,000,000 cash instead and the whole statement is R31,814 — duty zero, no bond side at all. The worked example on this page applies the formula step by step with real numbers, so you can verify the result by hand.