It’s that time of year again, all private bodies in South Africa are required to submit their annual PAIA (Promotion of Access to Information Act) reports to the Information Regulator. This reporting period opened on 1 April 2025, and the final deadline is 30 June 2025.
This annual obligation helps the Information Regulator monitor compliance with PAIA and ensure that organisations are fulfilling their duty to promote transparency and access to information.
Step 1: Register Your Information Officer
Before you can submit your PAIA report, your Information Officer must be registered on the Information Regulator’s online portal: https://eservices.inforegulator.org.za/default.aspx
This registration is a prerequisite for submission. If you’ve already registered in previous years, ensure that the information is up to date. If you’re registering for the first time, make sure you have access to the email address used in registration, as a One-Time PIN (OTP) will be sent to verify your identity during login.
Step 2: Submit Your PAIA Report
Once the Information Officer is registered and authenticated via OTP, you can proceed to complete and submit the PAIA report on the same portal. The process is relatively quick but requires accurate and up-to-date information on your organisation’s compliance efforts.
Step 3: Keep a Record
Once you’ve submitted your report, you’ll receive a confirmation email from the Information Regulator. We recommend saving this email and filing it as part of your compliance records. It’s also helpful to diarise the submission date as a recurring annual reminder, although we’ll be sure to remind you next year too.
Why This Matters
Failing to comply with PAIA reporting requirements could result in enforcement action by the Information Regulator. More importantly, staying compliant reflects your organisation’s commitment to good governance and transparency, values increasingly important to clients, partners, and regulators alike.
For assistance or questions about your PAIA submission, feel free to contact Sián Fields at sian@reynoldsattorneys.co.za.