Business, Commerce and Management Studies Finance, Economics and Accounting

Retirement Fund Implementation for Organisations Training

SAQA US 242564 | NQF 6 | Credits 8 | Duration 5 Days
From $1,242 per delegate

Description

This course equips learners with the knowledge and skills to structure and implement a retirement fund for an organisation. It covers the legal, regulatory, and practical aspects of retirement fund establishment and administration, enabling participants to apply sound governance and fiduciary principles.

Learning Outcomes

  • Apply knowledge of retirement fund legislation and regulatory frameworks to structure a fund.
  • Analyze the financial and tax implications of different retirement fund types for an organisation.
  • Evaluate the roles and responsibilities of fund trustees, administrators, and service providers.
  • Design a retirement fund implementation plan that aligns with organisational objectives and member needs.
  • Demonstrate the process of registering a retirement fund with the relevant authorities.
  • Implement governance and compliance measures to ensure ongoing fund integrity.

Target Audience

This course is designed for HR managers, financial officers, trustees, and consultants involved in the design or management of organisational retirement funds.

Prerequisites

None — open enrollment

Course Outline

Day 1: Introduction to Retirement Funds and Regulatory Framework

Objectives:
• Understand the purpose and types of retirement funds in South Africa
• Identify key legislation governing retirement funds (Pension Funds Act, Income Tax Act)
• Explain the roles of key stakeholders (registrar, trustees, administrators, employers)
• Describe the principles of fund governance and fiduciary duties

Topics:
• Overview of retirement fund landscape in SA
• Types of funds: pension, provident, retirement annuity, preservation funds
• Pension Funds Act 24 of 1956 and amendments
• Role of the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA)
• Trustee responsibilities and code of conduct
• Fund rules and their importance
• Tax considerations: contributions, lump sums, annuities
• Introduction to default regulations and preservation

Day 2: Fund Design, Benefits, and Contributions

Objectives:
• Differentiate between defined benefit and defined contribution funds
• Calculate contributions and benefits using standard formulas
• Understand risk benefits (death, disability) within retirement funds
• Explain the impact of fund design on employer and employee

Topics:
• Defined benefit vs defined contribution: features, advantages, disadvantages
• Contribution structures: employer, employee, additional voluntary
• Benefit calculations: retirement, death, disability, withdrawal
• Risk benefits: group life, income protection, critical illness
• Fund rules and benefit specifications
• Impact of salary structures on contributions
• Introduction to actuarial valuations (conceptual)
• Communication of benefits to members

Day 3: Fund Administration and Member Services

Objectives:
• Describe the end-to-end administration process for retirement funds
• Manage member data, contributions, and benefit payments
• Understand member communication and education requirements
• Apply principles of record-keeping and reporting

Topics:
• Administration system requirements and data management
• Contribution processing and reconciliation
• Member enrolment, exits, and transfers
• Benefit payment processes: retirement, withdrawal, death claims
• Member statements and annual benefit statements
• Communication strategies: member education, retirement planning
• Reporting to trustees and regulators
• Compliance with POPIA and data protection

Day 4: Governance, Compliance, and Risk Management

Objectives:
• Identify governance requirements for retirement funds
• Apply compliance monitoring and risk management frameworks
• Understand the role of the principal officer and compliance officer
• Manage fund investments and service provider oversight

Topics:
• Governance framework: King IV, PF Circulars
• Trustee training and performance evaluation
• Compliance risk management plan
• Investment policy statement and asset allocation
• Service level agreements with administrators and asset managers
• Conflict of interest management
• Internal controls and audit requirements
• Reporting to FSCA and Registrar

Day 5: Implementation, Communication, and Practical Integration

Objectives:
• Develop a retirement fund implementation plan for an organisation
• Communicate fund features to employees effectively
• Integrate retirement fund with overall employee benefits strategy
• Review case studies and apply learning to real-world scenarios

Topics:
• Steps to implement a new retirement fund or change existing fund
• Employee communication and enrolment campaigns
• Integration with payroll and HR systems
• Managing fund transitions and member education
• Case studies: successful implementations and pitfalls
• Future trends: preservation, annuities, default strategies
• Review of course and assessment preparation

Practicals

16 hours of practicals To be conducted online or on-campus or in-house
Overview

Practical sessions enable learners to apply theoretical knowledge to realistic scenarios, including fund design, administration processes, and compliance checks. These hands-on activities reinforce learning and build confidence in implementing retirement funds for organisations.

Practical Activities
  • Fund Rule Drafting and Benefit Calculation — Learners draft a simplified fund rule book and calculate retirement and withdrawal benefits for sample employees using given contribution data. (4h)
  • Administration Process Simulation — Using a mock database, learners process member data, contributions, and benefit claims, handling reconciliations and error correction. (4h)
  • Compliance and Risk Assessment Exercise — Learners review a fund's governance documents and identify compliance gaps, then propose risk mitigation measures. (4h)
  • Implementation Plan Development — In teams, learners create a step-by-step implementation plan for a new retirement fund, including communication strategy and timeline. (4h)

Summatives

Each delegate is assessed continuously throughout the course via daily exercises, scored practical assignments, and a final summative test at the end.

Practical Assignments — 30%

Practical assignments are observed and scored against a rubric during the practical sessions. Each delegate's practical mark is averaged into a single 100% score and contributes 30% to the final total.

Daily Exercises — 20%

Every training day ends with a multiple-choice exercise scored out of 100%. The scores from each daily exercise are averaged across the duration of the course to produce a Daily Average mark, which contributes 20% to the final total.

Final Test — 50%

On the last day a final summative test is written. It is a multiple-choice paper with multiple-answer questions: each question may have more than one correct option, and a single wrong selection on a question marks the entire question wrong — no partial credit. The final test is scored out of 100% and contributes 50% to the overall mark.

Final Total
Component Out of Weight
Practical Assignments (rubric-scored) 100% 30%
Daily Average (multiple choice) 100% 20%
Final Test (multi-answer multiple choice) 100% 50%
Final Total 100%

All marks are recorded on the AATICD LMS and visible to each learner under their account.

Certificate

Certificate of Completion

Awarded to delegates who achieve an overall mark of 50% or higher on the Final Total (Practicals 30% + Daily Average 20% + Final Test 50%).

How it works
  • Certificates are auto-generated on the AATICD LMS as soon as the marks pass the 50% threshold.
  • Each certificate is a branded PDF with the delegate's name, the course title, the unit standard ID, NQF level, credits, and the date of issue.
  • You can download or print your certificate from your LMS dashboard at any time after issue — there's no reissue fee and no expiry date.
  • If you scored under 50% you can sit the final test again at the next scheduled session at no extra cost.
Where to find it

Sign in to the LMS, open your dashboard, and your certificates appear under My Certificates. Each entry has a View / Download button and a print option.

Training Discounts

Group discounts apply automatically — the more delegates you enrol, the greater the saving. Discounts are calculated at 3% per 5 delegates, scaling up to 40% off for 100+ delegates.

Delegates Discount
5 3% off
10 6% off
15 9% off
20 12% off
25 15% off
30 18% off
50 30% off
75 35% off
100 40% off

3% discount per 5 delegates, up to 40% off for 100+ delegates. Contact us for a custom group quote.

Upcoming Training Sessions
Online training — attend live sessions from anywhere via our virtual classroom.
Start End Delivery Season Price Action
Mon 07 Sep 2026 Fri 11 Sep 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $1,242 Register
Mon 28 Sep 2026 Fri 02 Oct 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $1,242 Register
Mon 19 Oct 2026 Fri 23 Oct 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $1,242 Register
Mon 07 Dec 2026 Fri 11 Dec 2026 Virtual Summer 2026 $1,242 Register
Mon 11 Jan 2027 Fri 15 Jan 2027 Virtual Summer 2026 $1,242 Register
Mon 15 Feb 2027 Fri 19 Feb 2027 Virtual Summer 2026 $1,242 Register
Mon 01 Mar 2027 Fri 05 Mar 2027 Virtual Autumn 2027 $1,242 Register
Mon 08 Mar 2027 Fri 12 Mar 2027 Virtual Autumn 2027 $1,242 Register
Mon 15 Mar 2027 Fri 19 Mar 2027 Virtual Autumn 2027 $1,242 Register
Mon 07 Jun 2027 Fri 11 Jun 2027 Virtual Winter 2027 $1,242 Register
Mon 28 Jun 2027 Fri 02 Jul 2027 Virtual Winter 2027 $1,242 Register
Mon 19 Jul 2027 Fri 23 Jul 2027 Virtual Winter 2027 $1,242 Register
Mon 06 Sep 2027 Fri 10 Sep 2027 Virtual Spring 2027 $1,242 Register
Mon 27 Sep 2027 Fri 01 Oct 2027 Virtual Spring 2027 $1,242 Register
Mon 18 Oct 2027 Fri 22 Oct 2027 Virtual Spring 2027 $1,242 Register
Mon 06 Dec 2027 Fri 10 Dec 2027 Virtual Summer 2027 $1,242 Register
Mon 27 Dec 2027 Fri 31 Dec 2027 Virtual Summer 2027 $1,242 Register
Mon 17 Jan 2028 Fri 21 Jan 2028 Virtual Summer 2027 $1,242 Register
On-Campus training — face-to-face sessions at our training venues across Africa and beyond.
Showing all 492 sessions across 26 venues
Start End Venue Season Price Action
Mon 10 Aug 2026 Fri 14 Aug 2026 Durban, South Africa Winter 2026 $2,916 Register
Mon 10 Aug 2026 Fri 14 Aug 2026 Abu Dhabi, UAE Winter 2026 $5,238 Register
Mon 10 Aug 2026 Fri 14 Aug 2026 Pretoria, South Africa Winter 2026 $1,863 Register
Mon 10 Aug 2026 Fri 14 Aug 2026 Dubai, UAE Winter 2026 $5,238 Register
Mon 10 Aug 2026 Fri 14 Aug 2026 Cape Town, South Africa Winter 2026 $3,078 Register
In-House training — we bring the trainer to your organisation, tailored to your team.
Start End Delivery Season Price Action
Mon 14 Sep 2026 Fri 18 Sep 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $1,615 Register
Mon 05 Oct 2026 Fri 09 Oct 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $1,615 Register
Mon 26 Oct 2026 Fri 30 Oct 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $1,615 Register
Mon 14 Dec 2026 Fri 18 Dec 2026 Your Premises Summer 2026 $1,615 Register
Mon 18 Jan 2027 Fri 22 Jan 2027 Your Premises Summer 2026 $1,615 Register
Mon 22 Feb 2027 Fri 26 Feb 2027 Your Premises Summer 2026 $1,615 Register
Mon 08 Mar 2027 Fri 12 Mar 2027 Your Premises Autumn 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 15 Mar 2027 Fri 19 Mar 2027 Your Premises Autumn 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 22 Mar 2027 Fri 26 Mar 2027 Your Premises Autumn 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 14 Jun 2027 Fri 18 Jun 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 05 Jul 2027 Fri 09 Jul 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 26 Jul 2027 Fri 30 Jul 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 13 Sep 2027 Fri 17 Sep 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 04 Oct 2027 Fri 08 Oct 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 25 Oct 2027 Fri 29 Oct 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 13 Dec 2027 Fri 17 Dec 2027 Your Premises Summer 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 03 Jan 2028 Fri 07 Jan 2028 Your Premises Summer 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 24 Jan 2028 Fri 28 Jan 2028 Your Premises Summer 2027 $1,615 Register
Training Discounts
Delegates Discount
5 3% off
10 6% off
15 9% off
20 12% off
25 15% off
30 18% off
50 30% off
75 35% off
100 40% off

3% off per 5 delegates, up to 40% for 100+

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