Assistant Company Secretary at Apex Group

• You will report to the Head of Cosec South Africa. You will be responsible for assisting with the provision of company secretarial services and the administration of the corporate and fund entities forming part of the South African business. You will assist the Head of Cosec to support the business in the proper administration of corporate entities and fund entities

The Role & Key Responsibilities: 

• Maintain company records, statutory registers and corporate records in accordance with the Companies Act, CIPC requirements, internal compliance standards and other applicable legislative requirements;
• Prepare, submit and monitor CIPC filings, including annual returns, director and officer changes, company amendments, beneficial ownership and UBO declarations, and other prescribed statutory lodgements;
• Manage statutory compliance calendars, diary actions and filing deadlines to ensure all annual and ad hoc corporate secretarial obligations are met on time;
• Maintain and update client and entity information on the EMS and other internal systems, ensuring records remain accurate, complete and audit ready;
• Complete and maintain corporate secretarial compliance checklists, annual compliance reviews and supporting records for managed entities;
• Assist the Head of Cosec with planning, coordinating and administering board and committee meetings, including agenda support, meeting logistics, diary coordination and follow-up actions;
• Draft minutes, resolutions, written consents and general correspondence, and arrange execution, circulation and safekeeping of signed documents as required;
• Collate board packs and supporting papers and ensure meeting documentation is complete and distributed within agreed timelines;
• Ensure any changes to companies, directors, shareholders, registered addresses or constitutional documents are appropriately approved, recorded and lodged with the relevant authorities;
• Attend to regulatory submissions, routine and ad hoc statutory requests, and follow through to completion with relevant regulators and internal stakeholders;
• Liaise regularly with third parties including CIPC, auditors, clients, banks, regulators and professional advisers in respect of corporate secretarial matters;
• Build and maintain sound stakeholder relationships through responsive, accurate and professional corporate secretarial support;
• Keep abreast of legal and regulatory developments affecting South African corporate entities, including governance, beneficial ownership, tax and related compliance obligations, and communicate relevant changes to the business;
• Assist the tax team with the preparation, submission and tracking of annual tax return filings with SARS and related supporting information for managed entities;
• Assist the company secretary in advising boards and management on applicable legislative, governance and statutory requirements and in maintaining effective systems and processes to support ongoing compliance;
• Maintain company AML due diligence packs and corporate records for client due diligence, audit, regulatory reviews and internal governance purposes.

Required Qualifications:

• A relevant qualification in BCom, LLB, Compliance or a related field;
• Admission as an Attorney would be advantageous;
• A qualification from the Chartered Governance Institute of Southern Africa (CGISA), or a similar professional qualification, would be advantageous.

Experience: 

• 3-5 years’ relevant experience within a corporate secretarial, legal, compliance or fiduciary services environment, with exposure to South African corporate secretarial administration and governance requirements;
• Practical experience in managing a portfolio of entities and delivering end-to-end corporate secretarial support, including CIPC filings, annual returns, statutory changes, liaison with regulators and regulated entities, drafting minutes and resolutions, maintaining statutory records and supporting ongoing compliance obligations;