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Pretoria Master’s Office: Address, Hours and How to Lodge (2026 Guide)

Quick summary
The Pretoria Master of the High Court is at the SALU Building, 316 Thabo Sehume Street, Pretoria until 31 May 2026. From 1 June 2026 the office moves to 351 Francis Baard Street, Pretoria.
Hours are 07:45–13:00 only. Walk-ins close at lunch. Lodgement is in person, by post, or by courier. There is no online lodgement system in 2026.
This guide covers the current and new addresses, what to bring, how to queue, who to ask for, and how to avoid the most common reasons a lodgement is rejected.

Address — current (until 31 May 2026)

Master of the High Court — Pretoria
SALU Building, 316 Thabo Sehume Street
Pretoria, 0001

The SALU Building is on the corner of Thabo Sehume (formerly Andries) and Francis Baard (formerly Schoeman) Streets, in the Pretoria CBD. The Master’s Office is on the ground floor and lower levels.

Parking: Limited paid street parking on Thabo Sehume Street. The SALU Building has a basement parking garage (entrance on the Francis Baard side) but it fills early. Most attendees use the Centurion Park parking complex two blocks east and walk.

Public transport: Pretoria station is a 15-minute walk. The Gautrain Hatfield station + Bus Rapid Transit drops at Sammy Marks Square, three blocks south.

Address — from 1 June 2026

Master of the High Court — Pretoria
351 Francis Baard Street
Pretoria, 0001

The new premises are roughly four blocks east of the SALU Building. The Department of Justice announced the move in March 2026 to reduce congestion at SALU. The new building has more counter capacity and dedicated waiting areas by service type (deceased estates, trusts, curatorship).

Expect operational hiccups for the first 4–6 weeks after the move — file searches may take longer while archives are re-shelved.

Contact details

Detail
Main switchboard 012 339 3333
Deceased estates direct 012 339 7700
Acting Head Ms Nthabiseng Ntsoane
Email (general) NNtsoane@justice.gov.za
Postal address Private Bag X281, Pretoria, 0001

The switchboard answers slowly. Calling between 07:45 and 09:00 is the best window. Email replies typically take 5–10 working days.

Hours of business

The Master’s Office is open to the public Monday to Friday, 07:45 to 13:00 only. Counters close at 13:00 sharp — even if you are in the queue.

The office is closed:

  • Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays
  • Annual office shutdown (varies — usually between Christmas and New Year)
  • During occasional load-shedding-related closures (announced same-day)

This means a productive lodgement window of about 5 hours and 15 minutes per day. The Pretoria Master is one of the busiest in the country. If you arrive after 11:00 you may not be seen.

Which Master has jurisdiction over my estate?

The Master that handles a deceased estate is the one for the area where the deceased was ordinarily resident — not the area where they died.

The Pretoria Master has jurisdiction over deceased estates of persons who lived in:

  • Pretoria CBD, Arcadia, Hatfield, Brooklyn, Sunnyside, Muckleneuk
  • Centurion, Akasia, Wonderboom, Montana, the Moot
  • Mamelodi, Atteridgeville, Soshanguve, Hammanskraal
  • Cullinan, Bronkhorstspruit (some matters — confirm)

If the deceased lived in Johannesburg, Sandton, Randburg, Roodepoort or Soweto, the Johannesburg Master has jurisdiction (66 Marshall Street). If they lived in the Vaal, the Vereeniging Master applies.

Common confusion: people often assume the Master handles the matter for the area where the deceased died. Wrong. It is where the deceased was ordinarily resident. A Pretoria resident who dies in a Cape Town hospital still falls under the Pretoria Master.

What you can lodge at the Master

Matter Section / form
Deceased estate reporting (full) Section 14 — J294, J190, J243, supporting affidavits
Small estate reporting Section 18(3) — simplified pack
Trust deed registration Trust Property Control Act — deed + trustee acceptance
Trustee changes Trust amendment + trustee acceptance
Beneficial ownership filings Trust Property Control Act, section 11A
Curator / administrator applications Master’s consent + High Court order
Section 42(2) endorsements For property transfers in estates
Liquidation and Distribution accounts After Letters of Executorship issued
Master’s queries / defect responses Reply to existing query letters

The Master does not draft documents for you, give legal advice, or assist with completion of forms. Counter staff will accept or reject what you lodge — that is the limit of their role.

How to lodge — step by step

Step 1: Compile the pack

Every matter has a specific pack. Get the list right before you go. The most common reasons for rejection are missing documents (see article on rejection reasons).

Step 2: Make copies

The Master keeps everything you lodge. Make a complete copy of the pack before you arrive — for your file, and to show counter staff if you need to dispute something.

Step 3: Arrive early

The most productive lodgements happen between 07:45 and 09:30. After 10:00 the queues grow significantly. By 12:00 the counter staff are visibly rushing to close out by 13:00.

Step 4: Take a ticket

Inside the Master’s Office, take a queue ticket from the dispenser. Tickets are colour-coded by service:

  • Deceased estates — usually green
  • Trusts — usually blue
  • Curatorship — usually yellow
  • General enquiries — usually white

Sit and wait for your number on the screens. Be ready to move quickly when called — if you miss your number, you take a new ticket.

Step 5: Counter review

When called, the counter officer reviews your pack page by page. They will:

  • Accept the lodgement (you get a stamped receipt with a reference number); or
  • Flag defects (you take the pack home, fix, return another day); or
  • Refer you to a senior officer if the matter is unusual.

If accepted, the officer enters the matter into the Master’s system and gives you a file reference number. Write it down. You will need it for all follow-up.

Step 6: Follow up

Letters of Authority typically take 3–6 weeks. Letters of Executorship take 8–12 weeks. The Master does not send you anything — you must phone or attend to check status. Reference the file number.

Lodging by post

You may lodge by post to Private Bag X281, Pretoria, 0001.

The downsides:

  • Slower — postal lodgement adds 1–2 weeks at each end
  • No real-time defect feedback — a single typo means 3–4 weeks lost
  • Documents may be misfiled in transit
  • You cannot prove what was lodged unless you keep a complete copy

In-person lodgement is strongly preferred for anything time-sensitive.

Lodging by courier

Courier services such as PostNet, Aramex and the Sheriff’s Office will deliver to the Master’s Office on your behalf. The courier takes the pack to the counter, queues, and (in theory) brings back the stamped receipt.

In practice, couriers vary considerably in reliability for Master’s Office lodgements. They are not specialists, they do not know how to handle defect feedback, and they sometimes leave packs at reception without lodging properly.

Using a Master’s Office specialist correspondent — an attorney or attorney’s runner — is significantly more reliable. Expect to pay R650–R1,200 per attendance.

What to bring

For any visit:

  • Your documents in a clear file, in the correct order
  • A complete photocopy of the pack
  • A pen
  • The deceased’s reference number / your file reference number (for follow-up visits)
  • Cash for parking
  • A book — the queues can be long

What you cannot bring inside:

  • Cameras (no photos inside the Master’s Office)
  • Food and drinks
  • Children unaccompanied by an adult

Frequently asked questions

Can I lodge documents online?

No. The Department of Justice has trialled electronic lodgement but it is not available for general public use in 2026. All lodgement is in person, by post, or by courier.

Can I phone ahead to check if my pack is complete?

You can phone the deceased estates line (012 339 7700) for general questions, but officers will not pre-review your pack over the phone. Real review only happens at the counter.

How early should I arrive?

For a same-day lodgement, arrive by 09:00. For an urgent matter, by 07:45. Anything after 11:00 is a gamble.

What if the queue is closed when I get there?

Return the next working day. There is no overflow system.

Are there fees to lodge?

The Master charges fees on a sliding scale, capped at R7,000 for the largest estates. Small estates (section 18(3)) are exempt. Fees are payable when the L&D account is approved — not at lodgement. Trust registrations have small fixed fees.

What about the move to 351 Francis Baard?

From 1 June 2026, lodgement is at 351 Francis Baard Street. Any documents already in the system at SALU will be transferred — you do not need to re-lodge. Expect file retrieval to take longer for the first few weeks. Phone before attending any follow-up matter started before 1 June 2026.

Does the Master assist with completing forms?

No. Counter staff accept or reject lodgements — they do not assist with drafting or completion. For help, use an attorney, a fiduciary practitioner, or a Master’s Office assistant service.

How MasterAssistant can help

We attend the Pretoria Master daily. If you cannot get there yourself, we offer:

  • Single document lodgement — R650
  • Lodge + collect (round trip) — R1,200
  • Defect-check before lodgement — R450 (highly recommended — saves re-attendance fees)
  • Status check + written report — R350
  • Same-day attendance — +R400 surcharge, instruction must arrive before 10:00

No retainer. No monthly account. Pay per attendance.

Need lodgement help? Call 087 001 0733 or email instructions to admin@louwrens-koen.co.za. Same-day lodgement available if instructed before 10:00.

Last updated: 17 May 2026. Address details confirmed with the Department of Justice. Contact details may change. The 1 June 2026 move is confirmed in the DoJ announcement of 3 March 2026. Verify the current address before any in-person visit.