LIFESTYLE NEWS - Attorneys around the country are offering free basic will-drafting services during the annual National Wills Week, aimed at encouraging more South Africans to put their wishes in writing.
Currently, about two-thirds of South Africans do not have a will. According to the 2025 Sanlam Legacy and Wills Survey, 43% of those without one say they do not own enough for a will to be worth the effort.
Yet 98% say they want to leave a legacy when they die.
Michelle Govender, Head of Philanthropy and Major Partnerships at WWF South Africa, believes the disconnect may partly come down to how people understand the word “legacy”.
“Most people hear the word legacy and picture a house or an investment portfolio. That picture excludes anyone who has neither,” she says.
A legacy does not have to be large
Govender says a legacy can be created without owning substantial assets.
A gift to conservation in a will does not have a minimum value and costs the donor nothing during their lifetime. It can also be expressed as a percentage of whatever remains in an estate after family members and other beneficiaries have been provided for, rather than as a fixed amount.
A conservation bequest can be included as a clause in a new will or added to an existing will through a codicil, and can be changed later.
“People ask themselves what they own, when the more useful question is what is the thing they want to be remembered for, or what do they want their legacy to be long after they have left this world,” Govender says.
“Nature is the home all of us already live in, and directing a share of an estate towards looking after it is as impactful as handing down a house to your loved ones.”
Bequests that have protected South African landscapes
WWF South Africa points to several examples of conservation work made possible through bequests.
A bequest from the late Leslie Hill established a trust that has secured almost 290 000 hectares of the Succulent Karoo for formal conservation. Land in areas including Namaqua National Park and the Knersvlakte Nature Reserve was bought with money left behind for conservation.
In the Overberg, the Elizabeth Harding Bequest supports work with farmers who agree to retain remnants of renosterveld on their properties. The conservation restrictions are written into title deeds, meaning they remain binding when ownership changes.
There are now 23 such agreements protecting more than 5 000 hectares of renosterveld, one of the world's most threatened vegetation types.
In another example, retired aeronautical engineer Mike Harrison left 22 hectares of coastal land near Rooiels to conservation.
Harrison had spent seven years in the 1990s opposing a proposed development on the mountain slopes above the village. His will ensured that the land could not subsequently be subdivided or used commercially.
The property includes 600 metres of coastline, four hectares of endangered wetland and at least 13 plant species of conservation concern. It also helps protect a corridor between the Kogelberg and the coast.
Why conservation is a legacy for everyone
South Africa is home to nine biomes, including the exceptionally diverse Cape fynbos and the Succulent Karoo, which contains a significant proportion of the world's succulent species.
The country's natural ecosystems also underpin water supplies, agriculture and economic activity, while healthy ecosystems can help absorb the effects of floods and droughts.
Govender believes even a relatively small contribution can make a difference.
“Imagine if all of us, as ordinary people who want to leave this world better than we found it, gave just 1% of our estate. What a world that would be. Now that is a legacy future generations could look forward to,” she says.
Harrison house. Photo: Callum Evans, WWF South Africa
How to get a free will
Details of participating law firms are published by the Law Society of South Africa ahead of National Wills Week.
People planning to have a will drafted should take a list of their assets, the identity numbers of the people they wish to benefit and an idea of who they would like to appoint as executor.
The free service applies to new basic wills only and does not cover amendments or redrafting of an existing will.
Those wishing to include a conservation bequest can obtain suggested wording from WWF South Africa.
Bequests to WWF South Africa are exempt from estate duty, meaning the full bequest can go towards its conservation work.
For more information about leaving a conservation legacy, contact WWF South Africa at [email protected].
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