Transfer Costs in South Africa
Every rand a purchase costs beyond the price tag — transfer duty, attorney fees and bond registration, from Offer to Purchase to the day you get your keys.
Quick Answer
Transfer duty is exempt below R1,210,000, then rises on a sliding scale to 13%. Add conveyancing fees and, if you're financing, bond registration costs, and total transfer costs typically run 1.5–7% of the purchase price. The buyer pays all of it, due before registration — not the seller.
Most buyers budget for the purchase price and stop there — then get a call from their attorney a few weeks before registration asking for tens of thousands of rand they hadn't planned for. Transfer costs are three separate bills from three different parties (SARS, the transferring attorney, the bond attorney), due in cash, before you get the keys. This page ties all three together with real 2026 figures, the calculator to get your exact number, and the actual sequence of events between signing an offer and taking transfer.
What Transfer Costs Actually Are
Three separate costs make up what people call "transfer costs": transfer duty, a SARS tax on the purchase price; conveyancing fees, what the transferring attorney charges to handle the Deeds Office process; and bond registration costs, a separate attorney fee only if you're financing the purchase. In South Africa the buyer pays all three — the seller separately covers the estate agent's commission and their own bond cancellation costs. None of it is optional or negotiable away; the only real lever you have is knowing the number in advance.
Get your exact transfer duty, conveyancing and bond registration total.
Transfer Cost Calculator →Transfer Duty: SARS's Cut
Transfer duty is exempt entirely below R1,210,000, then charged on a sliding scale that rises from 3% to 13% on the value above each bracket — it's progressive, not a flat percentage of the full price. Companies, close corporations and trusts pay a flat 8% on the full purchase price with no exemption. Buying new from a VAT-registered developer replaces transfer duty with VAT instead — you don't pay both.
| Property Value | Rate |
|---|---|
| R0 – R1,210,000 | 0% (exempt) |
| R1,210,001 – R1,663,800 | 3% on value above R1,210,000 |
| R1,663,801 – R2,329,300 | R13,614 + 6% on value above R1,663,800 |
| R2,329,301 – R2,994,800 | R53,544 + 8% on value above R2,329,300 |
| R2,994,801 – R13,310,000 | R106,784 + 11% on value above R2,994,800 |
| R13,310,001 and above | R1,241,456 + 13% on value above R13,310,000 |
Source: SARS Budget Tax Guide 2026, effective 1 April 2025, confirmed unchanged for 2027.
Conveyancing and Bond Registration Fees
Conveyancing fees follow a Law Society tariff guideline linked to the purchase price on a sliding scale — most attorneys charge within this range, plus VAT at 15% and small Deeds Office and sundry charges. On a real R1,500,000 purchase with a R1.2m bond, expect roughly R16,100 in conveyancing fees (incl. VAT) plus around R12,300 in separate bond registration costs; on a R2,500,000 purchase with a R2m bond, that rises to roughly R24,150 conveyancing plus R14,900 bond registration. Full worked examples across four price points, including the transfer duty portion, are on the Transfer Cost Checklist and the calculator itself.
See the full cost breakdown for your own purchase price and bond amount.
Calculate My Transfer Costs →The Payment Timeline
Transfer costs don't all fall due at once — they land at a specific point in a process that typically runs 6–10 weeks from a signed offer to registration, longer if a bond application or FICA documentation stalls things. For the full explanation of every step and what can go wrong at each one, read Transfer Costs Explained.
- Offer to Purchase signed Buyer and seller sign the OTP, which becomes binding once all suspensive conditions (usually bond approval) are met.
- Bond application and FICA If financing, the buyer submits a bond application and FICA documents to the bank or a bond originator.
- Bond approved, attorneys instructed Once approved (or immediately for cash), the transferring conveyancer, bond attorney and bond cancellation attorney are all formally instructed.
- Transfer duty receipt obtained The transferring attorney submits the transfer duty declaration to SARS — registration can't be lodged without this receipt.
- Transfer costs paid into trust The buyer pays transfer duty, conveyancing fees and bond registration costs into the transferring attorney's trust account, typically a few weeks before lodgement.
- Documents lodged at the Deeds Office Once all three attorneys confirm readiness, the full document set is lodged simultaneously.
- Registration and handover The Deeds Office registers the transfer, the bond activates, and keys are handed over — typically 7–10 working days after lodgement.
📖 The Complete Guide: every cost on one printable checklist, plus a downloadable PDF you can hand to your bond originator or keep for your own records.
Transfer Cost Checklist →Frequently Asked Questions
Transfer duty (exempt below R1,210,000, then a sliding scale up to 13%), conveyancing attorney fees, and bond registration costs if financing (SARS Budget Tax Guide, effective 1 April 2025). Together these typically add 1.5–7% to your total purchase cost, depending on price and whether you're financing.
The current transfer duty exemption threshold is R1,210,000, confirmed in the 2026 SARS Budget Tax Guide and unchanged for 2027. Properties purchased at or below this price pay zero transfer duty. Above R1,210,000, duty is charged on the excess at progressive rates starting at 3%.
In South Africa the buyer pays the transfer costs — transfer duty, conveyancing fees and bond registration costs — not the seller. The seller pays the estate agent's commission and their own bond cancellation costs. Transfer costs are due before registration, typically paid into the transferring attorney's trust account a few weeks beforehand.
Conveyancing fees are what the transferring attorney charges to handle the transfer through the Deeds Office, based on a recommended fee scale linked to the purchase price, plus deeds office and sundry charges. They are separate from transfer duty and from any bond registration costs, and are paid by the buyer. VAT at 15% is charged on the attorney fee.
Transfer duty and conveyancing fees are normally paid in cash up front and are not automatically part of the home loan, though some banks offer to finance costs by granting a bond slightly above the purchase price for strong applicants. Plan to have the transfer costs available as cash unless your bank specifically agrees otherwise.
Usually not. When you buy a new property directly from a VAT-registered developer, the price includes VAT instead of transfer duty, so you do not pay both. You still pay conveyancing fees and, if you take a bond, bond registration costs. Confirm the VAT position with the developer and your attorney.