As you enter retirement, one of your biggest risks is a delay between when you receive your final salary and the first payment from your pension. This video, as part of a member education series for the Government Employees’ Pension Fund (GEPF),...
The true cost of cashing in your pension
Maya Fisher-FrenchMar 3, 2021
Have you heard of the term Sdudla? I recently came across it in relation to members of the GEPF, specifically members who are teachers and nurses. This is the practice of resigning from your post to access your pension fund. As teachers and nurses...
Video: No early pension access for GEPF members
Maya Fisher-FrenchFeb 24, 2021
Members of the Government Employees’ Pension Fund (GEPF) can not “borrow” or withdraw from their retirement savings. Cashing in your pension is “stealing” from your future self! This video, as part of a member education series, explains why GEPF...
Make sure you receive your retirement benefits on time
Maya Fisher-FrenchFeb 17, 2021
As you enter retirement, one of your biggest risks is that you could experience a delay between when you receive your final paycheque and the first payment from your pension. This is true in both the private and public sectors and managing this...
Video: GEPF: Who receives your pension benefits?
Maya Fisher-FrenchFeb 10, 2021
One of the questions I receive most often from retirement fund members is about who has a claim to their retirement funds if they die in service. This video, as part of a member education series for the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF),...
GEPF: Who receives your pension benefits?
Maya Fisher-FrenchFeb 1, 2021
One of the questions I receive from most retirement fund members is about who has a claim to their retirement funds if they die in service. As a member of the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF) one of the most important documents you need to...
Video: Why it pays to be a member of the GEPF
Maya Fisher-FrenchJan 29, 2021
As a financial journalist I am increasingly concerned about misinformation provided to members of the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF) by unscrupulous financial advisers. Some advisers use fear tactics, telling members that their funds will...
No early access for GEPF members
Maya Fisher-FrenchJan 18, 2021
Any changes relating to early access to funds in a private-sector pension fund or RA will have no bearing on members of the GEPF. I have received many queries from readers about the proposal to allow members of retirement funds limited access to...
Why it pays to be a member of the GEPF
Maya Fisher-FrenchDec 14, 2020
As a financial journalist I am increasingly concerned about misinformation provided to members of the Government Employees’ Pension Fund (GEPF) by unscrupulous financial advisers. A recent example is a reader who was told by an adviser that on...
GEPF benefits are guaranteed
Maya Fisher-FrenchMay 29, 2019
I recently attended a briefing by Abel Sithole, the Principle Executive Officer of the Government Employees’ Pension Fund (GEPF), on the state of the fund's finances. What occurred to me during the discussion was how much better off GEPF pensioners...
Previous Articles
Public servants can retire early – with conditions
Mar 25, 2019
In his budget address on 20 February 2019, Finance Minister Tito Mboweni announced an early retirement scheme for public servants whereby members of the Government Employees Pension Fund could take early retirement from the fund without penalties. According to the...
GEPF changes benefits for children and divorcees
Nov 27, 2017
Children of GEPF members are the biggest winners in the improvement to benefits. One of the more frequent questions we receive from members of the Government Employee Pension Fund (GEPF) relates to the treatment of their pension fund on divorce. This issue has been...
Why GEPF members are cashing in
Apr 6, 2016
If you are a government employee, you need to be wary of advisers who recommend that you resign in order to access your pension before retirement. Many commentators have attributed the spate of government employee resignations, just before retirement, as a result of...
Government Employees Pension Fund adopts clean-break principle
Nov 4, 2015
Six years after the clean-break principle was introduced into legislation in 2009, the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF) has introduced the principle allowing the non-member spouses of pension-fund members to access their share of pension interest at the time...