Ombud Council AR 2026

PART B: PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

Figure 11: Complaints Opened Per Province

• NFO: 41,0% • PFA: 45,6% • FAIS: 37,5% Gauteng

Province Gauteng

NFO PFA FAIS 41,0% 45,6% 37,5% 17,8% 9,1% 14,5% 14,9% 8,8% 14,5% 7,9% 6,5% 10,0% 4,0% 3,9% 5,5% 4,4% 6,3% 4,5% 4,3% 10,4% 4,0% 3,6% 6,6% 4,0% 2,1% 2,5% 3,0%

Western Cape KwaZulu-Natal Eastern Cape

Free State Northwest

• NFO: 3,6% • PFA: 6,6% • FAIS: 4,0%

• NFO: 4,4% • PFA: 6,3% • FAIS: 4,5%

Mpumalanga

Limpopo

Limpopo

Northern Cape

• NFO: 4,3% • PFA: 10,4% • FAIS: 4,0%

G

Mpumalanga

North West

• NFO: 2,1% • PFA: 2,5% • FAIS: 3,0%

• NFO: 14,9% • PFA: 8,8% • FAIS: 14,5%

KwaZulu- Natal

Free State

Northern Cape

• NFO: 4,0% • PFA: 3,9% • FAIS: 5,5%

Eastern Cape

• NFO: 7,9% • PFA: 6,5% • FAIS: 10,0%

• NFO: 17,8% • PFA: 9,1% • FAIS: 14,5%

Western Cape

Complaints handled by the PFA, FAIS Ombud and NFO remained geographically concentrated in Gauteng. This concentration is broadly consistent with Gauteng’s position as the country’s largest financial and commercial hub, with a high concentration of financial institutions, employers, intermediaries and financial customers. This was followed by the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. Other provinces recorded lower complaint volumes, however, these figures 2.4.2. Complaint causes and trends The summaries below, based on information reported in the schemes’ Annual Reports, provide an overview of the trends in the causes and types of complaints handled by the ombud schemes that the Ombud Council oversees • Pension Funds Adjudicator (PFA) The PFA recorded an increase of 26% in total complaints from 2024/25, which was a result of the implementation of the two-pot retirement system, increased stakeholder awareness and engagement, and economic pressures. The two-pot system starkly exposed known challenges in retirement fund administration such as governance weaknesses, non-payment or delays in withdrawal benefits, inaccurate member records and arrear contributions. Non compliance with section 13A of the Pension Funds Act,

do not indicate an absence of customer complaints. This data provided insights to the Council about the differences in population size, levels of financial inclusion, awareness of the financial ombud schemes, and levels of digital access which will be used to inform outreach and awareness across all provinces to ensure that financial customers are able to identify and access the appropriate ombud scheme, notwithstanding where they are located. entailing failures by participating employers to deduct pension contributions or pay over deducted contributions, were the largest category of complaints investigated and closed. This was followed by other withdrawal benefit related complaints. Often, these categories overlapped as complainants found that employers had failed to pay contributions at the stage when they are withdrawing their benefit. The persistence and scale of complaints relating to non payment of contributions are particularly significant. These matters have a direct impact on members’ retirement savings and benefit entitlements and remain an important consumer protection and conduct risk concern. The prevalence of these complaints also reinforces the need for

Ombud Council 2025/26 Annual Report

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