Introduction to King V for South African Retirement Funds

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do I need any prior knowledge of King V™ or governance codes to complete this module? A: No. This module starts from first principles and assumes no prior governance knowledge. It is designed for any trustee or Principal Officer regardless of their background, including those completing formal governance training for the first time. Each learning unit builds on the one before, and the module is sequenced so that a trustee with no prior exposure to King V™ can complete it from start to finish and leave with a complete, working governance foundation. Q: Why does King V™ matter to me as a trustee if the Pension Funds Act already governs how I operate? A: King V™ and the Pension Funds Act are not alternatives, they operate together. The Act's fiduciary provisions in sections 7A, 7C, and 7D, and FSCA Conduct Standard 4 of 2020, reinforce the expectation that retirement fund trustees govern to the standard King V™ describes. A board that operates within the Act but has not engaged meaningfully with King V™ is not fully meeting its governance obligations. This course explains precisely how the two frameworks fit together, and what governing to both actually looks like at the board table. Q: What practical tools or habits will I leave with after completing this module? A: Several that you can apply immediately. You will leave with the four King V™ governance outcomes as a live decision-making lens, a framework for assessing any board decision or governance situation in real time. You will have a precise understanding of what "apply and explain" requires in practice, including what a substantive governance disclosure looks like. You will have a practical three-question test for identifying and managing conflicts of interest from your very next meeting. And you will have a set of specific behaviours, before, during, and after every board meeting, that constitute governance discipline applied in practice, drawn from the capstone learning unit's applied assessment framework. Q: Why does personal governance obligation matter to me if the board makes collective decisions? A: The board makes collective decisions, but the governance standard evaluates individual conduct. King V™ and the Pension Funds Act are both explicit on this point: each trustee carries personal obligations for how they prepared for a meeting, how they participated during it, whether they declared conflicts before voting, and how they conducted themselves after it. The board's collective resolution does not insulate an individual trustee from scrutiny of their personal conduct in reaching it. This module makes that distinction concrete across three dedicated learning units. Q: What is "apply and explain" and why does it matter for my board? A: "Apply and explain" is the mechanism through which King V™ operates, and it is more demanding than it sounds. Every governance practice in the Code must be applied by your board. Where a practice cannot be applied exactly as the Code anticipates, the board must provide a substantive explanation of its alternative approach and demonstrate that the underlying governance purpose is still being achieved. Passing a resolution of endorsement is not compliance. This course is precise about what the standard actually requires, and what the FSCA and the Pension Funds Adjudicator would regard as satisfying it. Q: How does the assessment work across the six learning units? A: Each learning unit carries its own assessment of three scenario-based questions, real governance situations drawn directly from the unit content. The questions never test recall of definitions; they test application and judgment. You have three attempts per assessment, and the passing score throughout is 65%. The final unit, the capstone, presents the most demanding scenarios in the course, placing you in the role of assessor against realistic retirement fund governance situations. If you engage fully with each unit's content, you will be well prepared. Q: How long is my certificate valid, and why does it need annual renewal? A: Your Celagenix® Certificate of Awareness is valid for 12 months from the date of issue. Governance frameworks and regulatory instruments evolve, King V™ itself is an example of that, having come into force on 1 January 2026. Annual renewal ensures your knowledge reflects the current standard rather than the position at the time of your initial training. The Celagenix® Academy will notify you as your certificate approaches expiry. Q: How long do I have to complete this course after enrolling? A: If you are enrolled through your fund or organisation, your completion window is typically 90 days from enrolment, configured by your fund administrator or governance team. If you are purchasing this module independently through the Celagenix® Academy, you have 12 months from enrolment to complete it. At approximately 90 minutes of content across six units, most learners complete the course comfortably within two to three focused sessions. Q: Can I purchase this module on its own, or is it part of a bundle? A: This course is available as a standalone purchase and is complete as a standalone governance foundation. It is also the first module in the King V™ Retirement Fund Governance Series on the Celagenix® Academy, a growing series of modules and programmes addressing the full scope of retirement fund governance obligations. Subsequent courses in the series will address more advanced and specialist governance topics relevant to trustees and Principal Officers. Q: How does this module fit into a broader learning journey on the Celagenix® Academy? A: This module is the foundational entry point in the King V™ Retirement Fund Governance Series, designed to establish the governance knowledge base that every trustee and Principal Officer needs before any more advanced or specialist training makes sense. The Celagenix® Academy's broader catalogue covers governance, risk, and compliance topics relevant to financial services professionals across South Africa, including POPIA staff awareness, AI governance, and succession planning. This course is the right place to start for any retirement fund trustee or Principal Officer who needs to govern confidently under the King V™ framework.