When you die, your executor becomes the person who steps into your shoes to gather your assets, settle your liabilities, keep SARS and the Master’s Office satisfied, and distribute what remains to your heirs and beneficiaries. It is an administrative and fiduciary role, but it is also a deeply human one, because it plays out at the exact moment your family is grieving and often at their most vulnerable. In this article, we explore some considerations when nominating your executor.

Trust matters, but capability matters more

It is tempting to nominate someone you love and trust—an organised sibling, your favourite aunt, your best friend—because it feels personal and reassuring. But an executor appointment is less about affection and more about competence, capacity, neutrality, and staying power. The right nomination reduces delays, limits friction, and lowers the risk of your administration becoming a second trauma for your family.

Did you know? Your nominated executor has no authority until the Master formally issues the letters of executorship (or authority).

A special combination of technical skills is required

Executorship is not a simple administrative job – but rather one that requires a working understanding of finance, tax and accounting, and a practical feel for the legislation that governs deceased estate administration and succession. An executor must be able to take control of assets, assess liabilities, determine estate liquidity, deal with the sale of assets where necessary, and prepare a liquidation and distribution account that can withstand scrutiny.

Did you know? Even when an executor appoints an agent to assist, the executor remains responsible for proper administration.

Administration is relentless, deadline-driven work

The administrative intensity of winding up an estate is often underestimated. Executors must collate and compile documentation, obtain and submit the correct forms, advertise as required, open estate bank accounts, communicate with financial institutions, debtors and creditors, and ensure that all requirements are met within the timelines imposed by SARS and the Master’s Office. This requires methodical follow-through, excellent time management, and the ability to keep multiple workstreams moving at once.

Did you know? Many estate delays are caused by missing documents, slow information gathering, and inconsistent follow-up—rather than complexity alone.

Interpersonal skill is often the true make-or-break factor

An executor plays a significant communication and relationship-management role. They must liaise with heirs and beneficiaries, creditors and debtors, business partners, and sometimes family members who feel aggrieved or excluded. Where there are blended families, second marriages, maintenance claims, or unequal inheritances, the executor must remain impartial and objective while still being sensitive to grief and heightened emotions.

Did you know? Executors often spend as much time managing expectations and conflict as they do managing assets and paperwork.

Professional expertise may be imposed even if you nominate a lay person

Although you may nominate a family member or friend as executor, the Master must still be satisfied that the person is suitable for the role. Where the Master is not comfortable, the executor may be required to provide additional safeguards and/or appoint a professional agent such as an attorney, accountant or fiduciary specialist to assist. In practice, this can mean that the work is outsourced anyway—sometimes to people your family has never met.

Did you know? A nominated executor can end up fronting the role while the day-to-day administration is handled by an external professional.

Co-executors can provide a balance of trust and competence

If you want a trusted person involved but also want technical capability and continuity, consider appointing a trusted family member together with a professional legal or fiduciary firm as co-executors. This can provide a blend of personal understanding and professional knowledge, with built-in checks and balances – keeping in mind that where co-executors are appointed, our law requires that they act jointly. Done correctly, it can reduce risk, improve process discipline, and protect your family from the administrative burden.

Did you know? Co-executorship can reduce the pressure on a family member, while still keeping the estate’s administration anchored to your family context.

Location, residency and practical availability can slow an estate down

While a non-resident may be appointed as executor, it can cause delays and additional costs—especially where the Master requests a bond of security, or where foreign documents must be notarised or formally authenticated. If the person you nominated has emigrated, is planning to relocate, or is frequently abroad, now is the time to reconsider that appointment and nominate someone locally based and practically available.

Did you know? Where a non-resident executor is appointed, the Master may require a bond of security for the value of the entire estate.

Appointing a family member or beneficiary can inflame conflict

Although a beneficiary may be nominated as executor, it is important to think through how that will land within the family system. Even where the executor is competent and honest, the perception of conflict can create tension and distrust—particularly in blended families or where competing claims exist. For instance, appointing a current spouse as executor may place them in a difficult position if an ex-spouse or children from a previous relationship have claims for maintenance against the estate.
Did you know? Many estate disputes are driven by perceived unfairness or conflict of interest, not by the actual terms of the will.

Neutrality is a practical form of protection

A neutral executor—someone who does not inherit, and who is not emotionally entangled in family dynamics—can often administer an estate with clearer judgment and less friction. This is not a criticism of family members, but rather an acknowledgement that grief can impair decision-making, that family tensions can be amplified after a death, and that administration requires objectivity when difficult decisions must be taken.

Did you know? Grief frequently affects an executor’s ability to stay consistent, responsive and decisive—especially where beneficiaries are demanding, and timelines feel urgent.

Costs should be understood upfront, not assumed

Executor’s fees are regulated by statute and are set at a maximum of 3.5% (plus VAT) on the value of gross assets plus 6% of income accrued and collected after death. In many instances, these fees are negotiable depending on the size and complexity of the estate and the stipulations in the will. Importantly, appointing a friend or family member does not automatically reduce costs, because they are entitled to charge the same tariff as a professional firm.

Did you know? A will can include a stipulation requiring the executor to administer the estate at a discounted fee—although acceptance still depends on the executor.

Splitting roles can create unintended incentives

If the Master requires your lay executor to appoint a professional firm as co-executor or agent, the fee may be split between two parties. In practice, this can create inefficiencies and diluted accountability, and it can also mean that the professional firm is insufficiently incentivised to expedite the administration if the fee allocation is not commercially workable. The most effective structures tend to be those where roles are clear and responsibility is not fragmented.

Did you know? Poorly defined shared responsibility often slows an estate down because decision-making becomes layered and administrative ownership becomes unclear.

Age, health and longevity should be treated as real risks

When nominating an executor, consider the person’s age, health and capacity, bearing in mind that parts of the role may require persistence, physical presence, and sustained administrative energy over time. Also, remember the very practical risk that a single nominated executor may predecease you or become incapable.

Did you know? Nominating an alternate executor is one of the simplest ways to protect your estate against disruption if your first choice cannot act.

More than one executor can mean more than one bottleneck

Nominating multiple individuals as executors can sound sensible in theory, but it introduces logistical complexity. Co-ordination, differing interpretations of your wishes, personality clashes, and delays in securing signatures or joint decisions can become obstacles. If you do appoint more than one executor, choose people who can work together respectfully and efficiently, and ensure that the structure supports momentum rather than paralysis.

Did you know? Multiple executors can unintentionally create deadlock—especially where one is a beneficiary, and the others believe a conflict of interest exists.

Review your executor nomination as your life changes

Your personal circumstances can shift quickly, and an executor nomination that made perfect sense three years ago may no longer be appropriate today. Emigration, divorce, remarriage, business changes, health events, and family fallout all alter the suitability of an executor. Reviewing your will regularly—especially after major life events—helps ensure that the person you have nominated remains capable, available and aligned with your intentions.

Did you know? Executor nominations are often left untouched for years, which is why many families only discover an outdated or impractical appointment when it is too late to fix.