UNREGISTERED PERSON CONVICTED FOR ILLEGALLY PERFORMING ARCHITECTURAL WORK BY THE PALM RIDGE MAGISTRATE COURT

Wednesday, 01 July 2026 | announcements

01 July 2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

UNREGISTERED PERSON CONVICTED FOR ILLEGALLY PERFORMING ARCHITECTURAL WORK BY THE PALM RIDGE MAGISTRATE COURT 

On 18 June 2026, the Palm Ridge Magistrate's Court convicted Mr Neo Matjiu of contravening section 18(2), read with section 26(3), of the Architectural Profession Act 44 of 2000 for performing architectural work while not registered with the South African Council for the Architectural Profession (SACAP).

The conviction followed a complaint received by SACAP on 24 June 2025, which resulted in a comprehensive criminal investigation and the subsequent arrest of Mr Matjiu. 

The Palm Ridge Magistrate's Court found that Mr Matjiu unlawfully and intentionally misrepresented himself as a person registered with SACAP and performed architectural work without the required statutory registration, in contravention of the Architectural Profession Act.

Following his conviction, the Court imposed an appropriate sentence in accordance with the provisions of the law.

Jurisdiction: Palm Ridge Magistrate Court
Accused: Neo Matjiu
Verdict: Guilty

SACAP remains steadfast in its commitment to protecting the public and upholding the integrity of the architectural profession by ensuring that unregistered persons are held accountable for their actions of misleading the public and rendering architectural services whilst they are not registered with SACAP. 

This conviction highlights the vital importance of verifying the registration status of anyone offering architectural services. SACAP remains committed to maintaining professional standards and safeguarding the public from individuals who falsely present themselves as registered practitioners.

End.

About SACAP

The South African Council for the Architectural Profession (SACAP) is legally charged with regulating the architectural profession in South Africa, governed by the Architectural Profession Act of 2000, Act 44 of 2000. This includes professional architects, senior architectural technologists, architectural technologists, draughtspersons, specified categories, and candidates in each of the registration categories, all of whom must be registered with SACAP before they can practice architecture. www.sacapsa.com.

For media inquiries please contact:

Brenda Phake: Stakeholder Relations, Communications and Marketing Manager

Email: brenda.phake@sacapsa.com

Mobile- 060 973 7966