Land registration goes digital with new deeds system

The Department of Land Reform and Rural Development has officially launched the Electronic Deeds Registration System (eDRS), marking a major advancement in the country’s land registration process.

3 Apr 2025

Source: Freepik

This initiative, managed by the office of the Chief Registrar of Deeds, aims to revolutionise the way deeds and documents are processed, providing more efficient access to deeds registration information for both clients and the public.

The eDRS, now fully operational under the Electronic Deeds Registration Systems Act 19 of 2019, in accordance with Proclamation 250 of 2025, utilises information and communication technologies to streamline the preparation, lodgement, registration, execution, and storage of deeds and documents.

This system is designed to replace manual registration processes, offering a more secure, faster, and efficient way of registering property deeds. It also allows practitioners to submit deeds from any location in the country to the designated registration office, reducing turnaround times and helping to combat corruption.

Key features of the eDRS include:

Information provisioning: The online portal is now accessible to the public for all information related to registered deeds and documents.
Electronic access: Deeds Registries’ registers and documents are currently available to clients without the need to physically visit a Deeds Registry.
Pilot phase: The electronic registration process and related system module have entered a pilot process, after which it will be rolled out to the entire user base.

A dual registration process will be in effect for the next five years, allowing conveyancers to choose between manual and electronic lodgement and registration. However, once registration is completed electronically, manual registration will be phased out, with the manual process gradually replaced by the electronic system.

As part of ongoing improvements, the eDRS will be further developed to accommodate outstanding registration procedures. The goal is to repeal both the Deeds Registries Act 47 of 1937 and the Electronic Deeds Registration System Act 19 of 2019, with new legislation expected by 2030. By this time, all deeds registration processes are anticipated to be fully electronic.

The system can be accessed (in a limited capacity) at https://www.eservices.gov.za/eDRS.

For further information, please contact:

Ms Carlize Knoesen
Chief Registrar of Deeds
Email: az.vog.drrlad@neseonK.ezilraC