In its media statement announcing the draft King V Code, the Institute of Directors in South Africa explains that King V is "a revised and streamlined update of King IV" and notes that the King Committee considered "the need to make it easier for organisations to apply the outcomes, principles and practices of good governance". It further highlights "the need for a simpler and more user-friendly King V Code expressed in plain English and accessible to a wide range of stakeholders" as a key driver of the revisions.

King V, the fifth iteration of South Africa's corporate governance reports, was released on 31 October 2025 by the Institute of Directors in South Africa (IoDSA). It consists of four components: the King V Foundational Concepts, the King V Code, the King V Disclosure Framework and the King V Glossary. King V has been drafted as a standalone Code and is intended to be more user-friendly and accessible than King IV, with supporting documents available via a consolidated landing page.

The second overarching change has to do with the accessibility which is what we're trying to achieve through simplification – simplification of language and of content. So what that involves is that we tried as far as we could to avoid technical terms… instead of using the term we now use the descriptive phrase "the resources and relationships that the organization uses and affects"… This session is aimed at supporting stakeholders in understanding the approach to the updates of King V prior to commenting… make all of these documents accessible from a single web page… it's just easier if it's in one place in a succinct way but it's also to highlight the importance of…

The revised Code uses plain language and has minimised jargon wherever possible to make the technical content more user-friendly. In line with the aim of making King V more accessible, the content has been streamlined and unnecessary complexity removed.

On 24 February, the King Committee, in collaboration with the Institute of Directors in South Africa (IoDSA), unveiled the draft King V Code on Corporate Governance, inviting public comment. A feature of King V is its commitment to accessibility. The draft pares down the 17 principles of King IV to a leaner set of 12, using plain language to demystify governance for a broader audience. This streamlining extends to its presentation: gone are the heavy graphics and design flourishes of past iterations, a deliberate choice to aid reading-impaired individuals and align with regulatory drafting norms.

CIMA’s consultation response on the South Africa 2025 King V Draft observes that "The overall simplification of content and the use of plain language in the King V Code Draft and glossary assist with its accessibility and usability." It adds: "We strongly agree with the use of plain language and simplified terminology. This aligns with global best practices in corporate governance, as well as in the field of corporate reporting and financial disclosures."

Issued by the Institute of Directors in South Africa (IoDSA) on 24 February 2025, the King V Code Draft was opened for public comment… With the release of the King V Code Draft, South Africa’s corporate governance framework is set to benefit from improvements to King IV, through the incorporation of contemporary developments, enhanced usability, and standardised disclosure… Several important changes distinguish King V from its predecessor – **Plain language and clarified terms**: the draft avoids technical jargon where possible and includes an updated glossary to simplify and clarify previously unclear definitions, increasing the Code’s understandability.

The new Draft King V Code (“Draft Code”) was released for public comment in February 2025. Updates from the King IV Code: Readability – From a readability perspective, the Draft Code incorporates plain-language drafting, streamlined definitions, and an updated glossary to improve accessibility. The Draft Code distinguishes fundamental governance practices from supplementary ones, with supplementary practices moved to separate guidance notes. The Draft Code marks a positive step in advancing corporate governance in South Africa by making the King Code more user-friendly and aligned with current developments.

A commentary on the draft King V Code explains that in the IoD’s media statement of 24 February 2025 the King Committee confirmed that King V is a revised and streamlined update of King IV, including changes to take into account "the need to make it easier for organisations to apply the outcomes, principles and practices of good governance". The statement also refers to "the need for a simpler and more user-friendly King V Code expressed in plain English and accessible to a wide range of stakeholders" and the advantages of having a standardised disclosure template.

Plain language and drafting simplification. King V makes use of plain and simple language that is clearer, streamlined and easier to understand, when compared to the language used in the King IV report. To this end, and without detracting from the substance of its content, the use of overtly technical material and jargon has been minimised. Furthermore, King V makes use of limited graphics to improve accessibility for visually-impaired persons, as well as compatibility with screen-readers. To further streamline King V and improve the use and accessibility thereof, all practices that are not deemed mandatory for the application of a King V principle have been removed and all practices related to disclosure have now been included in the "King V Disclosure Framework".

Key shifts to watch include: Structure and usability: King V is designed to be modular – breaking the code, glossary, principles, application guidance and disclosure templates into separate, accessible parts. This will make navigation easier… Plain language and clarified definitions: Drafting has been tightened and jargon reduced. **This makes the code more accessible**, but boards will need to ensure that re-worded provisions align with existing policies and committee charters.

THE OVERALL SIMPLIFICATION OF CONTENT AND THE USE OF PLAIN LANGUAGE IN THE KING V CODE DRAFT AND GLOSSARY ASSIST WITH ITS ACCESSIBILITY AND USABILITY FOR A BROADER RANGE OF STAKEHOLDERS. The inclusion of Disclosure Templates is beneficial for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), facilitating their understanding and application of governance principles. The Code should ideally be self-explanatory and comprehensive, reducing the need for an extensive Executive Summary, and improved wording and clarity are suggested in certain areas to further enhance accessibility.

The IoDSA media statement indicates that the King V Draft is a revised and streamlined update of the King IV Report on Corporate Governance for South Africa. It consolidates some of the content and reduces the number of principles from 17 to 12, with the aim of making the Code **simpler and more user-friendly**… The draft King V is intended to be expressed in **plain English** and to be accessible to a wide range of stakeholders, including smaller entities.

King V is available from the IoDSA and consists of four components: The King V Foundational Concepts, the King V Code ('the Code'), the King V Disclosure Framework, and the King V Glossary. These documents are intended to form an integrated, accessible framework for corporate governance in South Africa. The Code has been simplified relative to King IV, with principles consolidated and explanatory material restructured to improve readability and practical application, especially for entities of different sizes and complexities.

In a "Legal Corner" article, the CIGFARO Journal notes that on 24 February 2025 the Institute of Directors (IoDSA) published a draft King V Code on Corporate Governance for South Africa and an accompanying discussion paper. The article summarises that the draft aims to simplify and modernise the King framework, with a particular focus on making governance principles easier to apply by municipalities and other public sector entities, including through clearer drafting and improved guidance.

2. Plain Language & Clarity: In a welcome move toward user-friendliness, King V replaces jargon like "six capitals" and "triple context" with clearer, more descriptive phrases like "resources and relationships" and explicit references to the economy, society, and natural environment. 1. Streamlined Design & Accessibility: King V departs from the dense single-report layout of its predecessor. Information is now modular, accessible via a consolidated landing page with distinct sections for the Code, disclosure templates, glossaries, and more, enhancing accessibility for diverse users.

A law firm update records that "The final King V Code on corporate governance was published on 31 October 2025 by the Institute of Directors in Southern Africa (IoDSA)." It explains that King V builds on King IV but is more streamlined and practical, with tools such as disclosure templates intended to assist organisations in applying and explaining the principles. The update emphasises that the Code is designed to be more accessible to a wide range of organisations and stakeholders.

In general, I do feel that the explanations could be worded in plainer language and could be better punctuated to provide greater clarity – one example is the wording of certain principles, which may still be too complex for some users. Nonetheless, the draft demonstrates an intention to simplify and use plain language throughout, which is appreciated. Further editorial refinements are suggested to fully realise the goal of accessibility and clarity for all stakeholders.

Given that English is the primary business language in South Africa, all King V content has been published in English only. Key changes from King IV are the use of plain language, reduced jargon and consolidated principles to improve readability and accessibility. The King Committee notes that the Code and its related documents were designed to be more accessible to a wider range of stakeholders, including smaller organisations, by simplifying structure and language.

It walks your board and leadership team through the Code in plain language, helping them understand the new principles and disclosure requirements. With the launch of King V, South Africa's new corporate governance framework aims to improve accessibility and accountability, making it easier for boards and executives to engage meaningfully with governance practices.

Various commentators have noted that King V has been deliberately reworked to eliminate unnecessary complexity and make the Code easier to read. The move to plain language, reduction of visual clutter, and provision of free, downloadable documents are all part of a broader emphasis on accessibility, including for smaller entities and users with visual or technological constraints.