About the Book

Corporate Governance: An Essential Guide for Companies (4th Edition) maps the real landscape of governance as it is lived: in boardrooms, shareholder meetings, state-owned entities and through the lens of scandals and reform.

Structured as a journey, the book traverses the foundations of law and company structure to the frontiers of ethical leadership, executive pay, risk, and ESG. Written to be read, it rejects jargon and box-ticking, adopting a pragmatic, candid and critical voice that brings governance to life through real-world case studies and lessons learned.

This edition expands its reach with a global perspective, examining governance across more than 14 jurisdictions, and exploring the new terrain of disruptive governance — from AI and cybersecurity to digital oversight and accountability. It also incorporates the latest South African developments, including amendments to the Companies Act, King V and the 2025 JSE Listings Requirements.

Ultimately, the book calls for courageous governance — for boards and leaders prepared to confront hard truths, exercise judgement and uphold integrity in an age of complexity.

A Book that Comes to Life…

A world first, this edition introduces an AI-Augmented Governance Companion — a digital innovation that transforms how readers interact with governance knowledge.

Built on the book’s content and continually trained on leading global frameworks and legislation, this intelligent tool allows directors, board members and governance professionals to interact with Virtual Board Members to test judgement, explore dilemmas and apply governance principles to real-life challenges. It bridges theory and practice — bringing governance to life in a way that is both accessible and transformative and keeping the material alive long after publication.

Contents Preview

• Foundations and Frameworks – Explores where corporate governance comes from and why it matters, tracing the evolution of law, accountability and purpose in the modern company. It compares the leading governance models and codes that shape board practice across 14 jurisdictions, setting the context for everything that follows.
• Companies, Boards and Directors – Explores how companies are structured and governed, from private firms to new forms like Benefit Corporations and DAOs, and how the balance of executive and non-executive influence, independence and diversity shape effective board leadership.
• Running the Company – Looks inside how companies actually work: the rhythm of meetings, committees, assurance, and the daily disciplines that turn principle into practice.
• Contemporary Governance Challenges – Tackles today’s most pressing issues, including risk, sustainability, ethical leadership, executive pay and stakeholder capitalism. This part shows how governance today extends beyond compliance to conscience, and how it must be actively lived, measured and made to matter.
• Disruptive Governance: Technology, AI & the Digital Boardroom – Examines how AI, cybersecurity and digital transformation are reshaping risk, accountability and decision-making, and how boards must govern technologies they may not fully understand — but remain responsible to govern.
• South Africa in Focus – This part situates South Africa within the global governance landscape, examining the 2024 Companies Act amendments, King V and new JSE Listings Requirements. It explores the governance of state-owned entities, B-BBEE, corruption and whistleblowing, showing how law, ethics and accountability intersect in practice.
• From Principles to Practice – This final part translates governance theory into actionable tools, offering practical frameworks, checklists and tools to help boards and executives apply the principles of King V, the JSE Listings Requirements and sound governance in everyday decision-making.

Who it’s for

• Corporate Directors and Executives - for those charged with leading strategy, setting culture and ensuring accountability in complex organisations.
• Business Leaders and Entrepreneurs - clarifying how sound governance strengthens purpose, resilience and long-term value creation.
• Governance Practitioners and Company Secretaries - offering practical guidance, frameworks and tools to support boards, compliance and disclosure.
• Students and Academics - providing a current, critical and comparative resource for governance, law and management studies.
• Policy Makers and Regulators - distilling emerging trends and global best practice to inform rule-making, supervision and reform.