Master of the High Court Offices
Every Master's office in South Africa, by province. Which one handles your estate depends on where the deceased lived, not on where you live and not on where the assets are.
Gauteng
| Office | Address | Phone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Johannesburg | 66 Marshall Street, Hollard Building, Johannesburg | 011 429 8000 | See the DoJ contacts page |
| Pretoria | 351 Francis Baard Street, Pretoria, 0002 The Pretoria office moved to this address on 1 June 2026. Older guides and search results still show the SALU Building in Thabo Sehume Street. | 012 339 3333 | See the DoJ contacts page |
Western Cape
| Office | Address | Phone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Town | Dullah Omar Building, 45 Castle Street, Cape Town | 021 832 3000 | See the DoJ contacts page |
KwaZulu-Natal
| Office | Address | Phone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Durban | 2 Devonshire Place, 2nd Floor, Durban, 4001 | 031 327 0600 | MasterDurban@justice.gov.za |
| Pietermaritzburg | 241 Church Street, Colonial Building, Pietermaritzburg | 033 264 7000 | MasterPietermaritzbu@justice.gov.za |
Eastern Cape
| Office | Address | Phone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bhisho | 1st Floor, SITA Building, cnr Phalo and Rharhabe Avenues, Bhisho | 040 608 6600 / 040 639 2087 | See the DoJ contacts page |
| Makhanda (Grahamstown) | 5 Bathurst Street, Grahamstown, 6139 | 046 603 4000 | MasterGrahamstown@justice.gov.za |
| Mthatha | Holy Cross Building, 7 Craister Street, Mthatha, 5099 | 047 531 2120 | See the DoJ contacts page |
| Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) | 523 Govan Mbeki Avenue, North End, Port Elizabeth | 041 403 5100 | See the DoJ contacts page |
Free State
| Office | Address | Phone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bloemfontein | Old Southern Life Building, cnr Charlotte Maxeke and Aliwal Streets, Bloemfontein, 9301 | 051 411 5500 | MasterBloemfontein@justice.gov.za |
Limpopo
| Office | Address | Phone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polokwane | Polokwane High Court Building, 4th Floor, Block B, cnr Bodenstein and Biccard Streets, Polokwane, 0700 | 015 230 6000 | See the DoJ contacts page |
| Thohoyandou | Venda Government Building Complex, Thohoyandou, 0950 | 015 962 1032 | MasterThohoyandou@justice.gov.za |
Mpumalanga
| Office | Address | Phone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mbombela (Nelspruit) | 52 Samora Machel Drive, West Acres, Nelspruit, 1200 | 013 101 3721 | See the DoJ contacts page |
| Middelburg | 1st Floor, Magistrate Court Building, 16 Dr Beyers Naude Street, Middelburg, 1050 | 013 282 5347 | See the DoJ contacts page |
North West
| Office | Address | Phone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mahikeng (Mmabatho) | Justice Chambers, 44 Shippard Street, Mahikeng, 2745 | 018 381 4122 | See the DoJ contacts page |
Northern Cape
| Office | Address | Phone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kimberley | Don Pablo Office Park, 73 George Street, Kimberley, 8301 | 053 831 1942 | MasterKimberley@justice.gov.za |
The Chief Master's national office
This is the escalation point when a provincial office simply will not respond. It is not where you report an estate.
Magistrates' offices as service points
Designated magistrates' offices act as service points for the Master and will accept reporting documents, which matters if the nearest Master's office is hours away. They forward the file to the Master, so an estate that includes a will or that is above the small-estate threshold is usually better lodged directly with the provincial office.
There is a second reason magistrates' offices matter. Where the deceased was resident in a district other than the one in which the Master's office sits, the liquidation and distribution account must lie open for inspection at that district's magistrate's office as well. That is what lets a beneficiary in a distant town inspect the account without travelling to the provincial capital, and it is worth asking for rather than assuming.
When an office will not respond
- Quote the estate reference number in every single contact. Without it nobody can find your file.
- Follow up by email so there is a written record, and keep replying on the same thread rather than starting a new one.
- Ask specifically whether a query has been raised. Queries are sometimes posted to an address nobody checks, and the file then sits waiting for a reply nobody knows is due.
- Escalate to the head of that office, in writing.
- Escalate to the Chief Master's national office.
- As a genuine last resort, a court application can compel the Master to act. It is expensive and rarely proportionate.
We do not republish the names of office heads, because they rotate and a stale name sends you to the wrong person. Ask for the head of office by title when you escalate.
Frequently asked questions
Which Master's office do I report the estate to?
The one for the area where the deceased was resident in the 12 months before death. Not where you live, and not where the assets are. If the deceased lived abroad, any office in whose area assets or documents are held.
How many Master's offices are there in South Africa?
There are 16 offices listed by the Department of Justice, plus the Chief Master's national office in Pretoria, and designated magistrates' offices acting as service points.
Can I report an estate at a magistrate's office?
Yes, at designated magistrates' offices acting as service points for the Master. They forward the file on. Estates with a will, or above the R250,000 small-estate threshold, are better lodged directly with the provincial Master's office.
Are Letters of Executorship valid in other provinces?
Yes. Letters issued by any Master's office are valid throughout South Africa, including where estate assets sit in another province.
Did the Pretoria office move?
Yes, to 351 Francis Baard Street on 1 June 2026. Older guidance and search results still show the SALU Building in Thabo Sehume Street, which is now the Chief Master's national office rather than the Pretoria estates office.
What if the estate has been reported to the wrong office?
Tell them. The file is normally transferred to the correct office rather than restarted, but it will cost time, which is why establishing jurisdiction first is worth the phone call.
Where these figures come from
- Department of Justice: Master of the High Court contact details - verified 15 August 2026
- Master of the High Court: reporting a deceased estate
- Administration of Estates Act 66 of 1965, sections 4 and 7 - jurisdiction and the duty to report
Related
This page is general information about South African law, not legal, tax or financial advice, and it does not create any professional relationship. Every estate is different and the outcome can turn on facts not covered here. Figures verified 15 August 2026 against the Administration of Estates Act 66 of 1965, the Estate Duty Act 45 of 1955, the Intestate Succession Act 81 of 1987, the Wills Act 7 of 1953, the Master of the High Court and SARS. Rates and thresholds change. Before you act on anything here, confirm it with the Master's office handling the estate or with an attorney.