Land Reform and Rural Development implements Electronic Deeds Registration System

The Department of Land Reform and Rural Development, through the office of the Chief Registrar of Deeds is pleased to announce the launch of the Electronic Deeds Registration System (eDRS) today, Tuesday, 1 April. This is a significant advancement of South Africa’s land registration system as well as the provisioning of deeds registration information to clients and the public.

The Electronic Deeds Registration Systems Act 19 of 2019 is in full operation from today as per Proclamation 250 of 2025. It provides for the Chief Registrar of Deeds to develop, establish and maintain the electronic deeds registration system by using information and communications technologies for the preparation, lodgement, registration, execution and storing of deeds and documents.

eDRS aims to ultimately replace the manual registration processes with digital streamlined systems that use technology to ensure improved security, reduce turnaround times and curb corruption. Additionally, this platform will allow practitioners, to lodge deeds directly from any location in the country to the designated office for registration of properties.      

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, has entered   a pilot process, after which it will be rolled out to the entire user base.

A dual registration process will be in place over the next five years, allowing for both manual and electronic lodgement and registration at the discretion of the conveyancer. Once registration is completed electronically, manual registration will no longer be permitted.  The manual registration procedure will be phased out gradually and will ultimately be replaced by an electronic system.

The eDRS will be further enhanced to cater for outstanding registration procedures with the aim to repeal the Deeds Registries Act 47 of 1937 and the Electronic Deeds Registration System Act 19 of 2019 with a new legislation expected to be concluded by 2030. It is envisaged that all deeds registration processes will at this point be solely 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: Carlize.Knoesen@dalrrd.gov.za     
Link to the system: : https://www.eservices.gov.za/eDRS

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