What is a public interest score?

A public interest (PI) score is a number a South African company calculates each financial year. You add one point for each employee (the average for the year), one point for every R1 million of third-party liability at year-end, one point for every R1 million of turnover during the year, and one point for each individual who holds a beneficial interest in the company's securities.

What public interest score requires a Social & Ethics Committee?

A company must appoint a Social & Ethics Committee if its public interest score was 500 or more in any two of the previous five financial years. Listed public companies and state-owned companies must have one regardless of their score, under Regulation 43 of the Companies Regulations.

Is this public interest score calculator free?

Yes. The calculator is free and needs no sign-up. Nothing is stored or sent until you choose to have a one-page summary emailed to you.

South Africa · Public Interest Score · Companies Act Regulation 43

Do you need a Social & Ethics Committee?

This free public interest score calculator works out your PI score and tells you instantly whether your South African company is legally required to have a Social & Ethics Committee. It's a formula under Regulation 43 — and most companies that qualify don't know it. Answer five questions for a sourced answer.

Applies to South Africa only. The Social & Ethics Committee is a requirement of the South African Companies Act (Regulation 43).

Your company

Use your latest completed financial year. Nothing is stored or sent until you ask for the summary.

Company type

Listed public companyShares listed on an exchange (e.g. JSE / AltX) State-owned companyAn SOC / public entity under the PFMA

Average number of employees this financial year Turnover this financial year

Third-party liability at year-end (money owed to outsiders)

Individuals with a beneficial interest in securities at year-end

For a profit company: people (not entities) known to hold a beneficial interest in your shares.

Enter your details

Your answer appears here

Fill in the five fields and this updates live.

0public-interest points
this year

0threshold 5001000+

Get your one-page summary

We'll email it to you — your score, what it means, and what a defensible speak-up channel needs under King V and the coming Protected Disclosures Bill.

Xono may email me about Social & Ethics Committee, King V and whistleblowing compliance. I can unsubscribe any time — see our Privacy Policy.

How this is calculated. The public-interest (PI) score follows the Companies Regulations, 2011 (reg. 26(2)): one point per average employee, one point per R1 million (or part) of third-party liability, one point per R1 million (or part) of turnover, and one point per individual with a beneficial interest in the company's securities (or per member, for a non-profit). Under regulation 43 (Companies Act 71 of 2008, s72(4)), a Social & Ethics Committee is mandatory for every listed public company, every state-owned company, and any other company that scored above 500 in any two of the previous five financial years. This tool scores one year — confirm the two-of-five test across your last five years. Guidance only, not legal advice.