Our conveyancing system is slow, but it has the great advantage of being certain. Every square centimeter of South African soil is mapped on a survey diagram kept by the Surveyor-General in the Deeds Office. The result is that there are clear records as to who owns property and disputes are minimized. Our conveyancing system is more advanced than anything you'll find in most other countries. I must also add that the Deeds Office is under new management and there have been great improvements in service levels.

I recently became an examiner for the conveyancing exams and am enjoying the challenge. The conveyancing exams are notoriously difficult and you need to keep on your toes. As examiners we mark the answer papers and hold the oral examinations for those who score between 40% and 50%. Sometimes I find myself querying the model answers provided - I enjoy keeping my finger on the pulse.

Some people ask me if I find conveyancing boring. I suppose that some might feel that the drill is fairly routine (and not a few of my friends and family are surprised to discover I like it!), but I also do a range of work and that adds spice to life. I am involved in everything from straight-forward transfers, to Eskom servitudes and developments like Brettonwood Coastal Estate on the KwaZulu-Natal north coast. The development work is especially interesting as a lot of preliminary work must be done before the first transfer can go through. So it may not be the performing arts, but there is more than enough variety and satisfaction to keep body and soul together!