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Section 29 and Section 35(5) notices are the two statutory notices that every deceased estate must publish in South Africa. They fall under the Administration of Estates Act 66 of 1965 and they mark two different stages of the estate. Handled as one compliant process, they keep the estate moving and prevent the delays that come from publishing the wrong notice at the wrong time.
ALSO READ: Winding up a deceased estate in South Africa: the full timeline
LegalNotice.co.za publishes both notices for attorneys, fiduciaries and executors and coordinates the Government Gazette placement where it is required. One instruction covers the full publishing process from the J193 to the J187.
What the Section 29 notice does
The Section 29 notice is published on the J193 form. It is the first notice in the estate. It calls on creditors and debtors of the deceased to lodge their claims and settle their debts within the period stated in the notice, which may not be less than 30 days.
The notice must run in the Government Gazette and in a newspaper circulating in the district where the deceased was ordinarily resident. The estate name, the estate number and the executor or authorised agent details must be correct. See our guide on how to publish a J193 Section 29 notice for the exact requirements.
What the Section 35(5) notice does
The Section 35(5) notice is published on the J187 form. It comes later in the estate, once the Liquidation and Distribution Account is ready. The notice informs creditors and heirs that the account is lying open for inspection at the Master’s office, and at the Magistrate’s office in the district where the deceased was ordinarily resident if that district differs from the Master’s, for a period of not less than 21 days.
The J187 also runs in the Government Gazette and in a local newspaper. The inspection dates and places must match the account that has been lodged with the Master. Our breakdown of the Section 35(5) J187 publishing requirements sets out each field.
Why Section 29 and Section 35(5) notices belong in one process
The two notices are separated by months but they share the same estate details, the same parties and the same compliance standard. Running them through one publisher keeps the estate name, number and executor details consistent across both filings and removes the risk of a mismatch that the Master can reject.
Both notices sit within the administration of deceased estates supervised by the Master of the High Court. A single compliant process means the J193 and the J187 are prepared, published and proven to the same standard.
How LegalNotice.co.za handles both notices
We check the notice details against the estate, prepare the J193 or J187 in the correct format, publish online, coordinate the Government Gazette where required and return proof of publication. Attorneys and executors instruct once and receive a clear record for the estate file.
Legal Notice Publishing handles the full process for you. Contact jana@legalnotice.co.za or click here.
