Zuko Komisa
- South African law does not recognize common-law marriage, leaving cohabiting couples without automatic inheritance or alimony rights.
- Many partners fail to update beneficiary designations or joint policies, leading to rejected claims during emergencies.
- Experts urge couples to draft cohabitation agreements and discuss financial transparency to prevent future legal disputes.
While February 14th usually focuses on romance, financial experts are warning South Africans that ignoring “the money talk” can lead to long-term heartbreak.
Beyond the flowers and chocolates, many couples particularly those in cohabiting relationships remain unaware of the legal and financial vulnerabilities they face under local law.
Kaya Biz with Gugulethu Mfuphi spoke to Reeona Chetty, Head of Advice at Vouch, who highlights that “living together” does not afford the same automatic protections as a legal marriage.
In South Africa, there is no such thing as a “common-law marriage,” leaving partners at risk regarding inheritance, asset division, and insurance claims if the relationship ends or a partner passes away.
“Most times when people enter into relationships, they don’t always have the money conversation, and it’s linked to a lot of things, it could be like taboo, shame, even fear of judgment, and a lot of underlying emotional attachment results in us having an emotional attachment to money.
In the current state, people are living together for long periods of time, which could be referred to as common-law marriage. From a South African perspective, your rights in terms of claims to a communal estate are very negligible.”
To bridge these gaps, experts recommend that couples formalize their arrangements through cohabitation agreements and updated life insurance policies.
Proactive planning ensures that financial security remains intact, even when the “honeymoon phase” ends.
Listen to the full conversation here:
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