FIC Issues Draft Directive 10 on Geographic Location Reporting

Posted 09 January 2026 Written by Acts Online
Category FICA

Brought to you by SA Accounting Academy: The Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) has issued Draft Directive 10, requiring accountable institutions to disclose geographic location data for their head offices, branches, and subsidiaries.

In terms of section 43B(2) of the Financial Intelligence Centre Act, No. 38 of 2001 (FICA), the Centre has published Draft Directive 10 to specify the particulars concerning an accountable institution’s geographic footprint that must accompany its registration. This requirement is intended to assist the Centre in determining group structures and geographic locations for regulatory oversight.

The directive applies to every accountable institution referred to in Schedule 1 of the Financial Intelligence Centre Act, No. 38 of 2001, including Trust and Company Service Providers (TCSPs) listed under Item 2. The scope of reporting includes:

  • The location of the head office;
  • Branches located within the Republic;
  • Subsidiaries located within the Republic;
  • Branches and subsidiaries located outside the Republic; and
  • Branches of subsidiaries both within and outside the Republic.

Accountable institutions already registered with the Centre on the date this directive commences must update their registration particulars within 90 days. Furthermore, any subsequent changes to these geographic particulars must be updated on the FIC’s registration system within 90 days of the change occurring.

Failure to comply with the provisions of this directive constitutes non-compliance, which may result in the imposition of administrative sanctions in accordance with section 45C of the Financial Intelligence Centre Act, No. 38 of 2001. The directive will take effect on the date of its publication in the Government Gazette. Stakeholders have until Friday, 13 February 2026, to submit comments on the draft.

Click here to download the Draft Directive 10: Information pertaining to geographic locations.

What this means for you, your business, or your clients

  • For yourself: No direct individual obligations; impact is channelled through firm-level compliance and the requirement to accurately map professional group structures.
  • For your business: You must audit your firm’s registration data on the FIC platform to ensure all domestic and international branches or subsidiaries are disclosed within 90 days of the directive being gazetted.
  • For your clients: Schedule 1 clients must be advised to update their FIC registration profiles to include full geographic details of their group structures to avoid administrative sanctions under section 45C.

Originally published at https://accountingacademy.co.za/news/read/fic-draft-directive-10-geographic-locations-of-accountable-institutions

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