Carlize Knoesen is the first woman in the history of South Africa appointed to the position of Chief Registrar of Deeds. The Deeds Registration aims to provide a world – class and secure land registration system and strives to provide security of title through the registration of real rights in land for all property owners. She is also a Deputy Director General in the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development and as such must give strategic input in the country’s policies and legislation relating to all land matters.

As the Chief Registrar of Deeds, she is responsible for transformative and strategic management of the Branch: Deeds Registration which includes eleven Deeds registries across the country, the Deeds ICT system, Litigation matters, Legislation, uniform application of Deeds practice and procedure and Deeds training of officials from RSA and its neighbouring countries Registries. Carlize is also the chairperson of the Sectional Title and Deeds Registries Regulatory boards with power to make regulations on Deeds registration legislation.

She is responsible to ensure the Deeds Trading Account is managed within the Public Finance management framework as the Branch does not receive any Government budget allocation and all salaries and expenses are paid from service delivery fees generated. Under her leadership and with the support of the service delivery and corporate support services within the Office of the Chief Registrar of Deeds, the Branch received five consecutive clean audits for the years 2016 to 2021.

Appointed as a transformation change agent, she oversees the Deeds Registration digital transformation process, whose key target it the roll out of an Electronic Deeds Registration system (EDRs) for South Africa by 2022.

Ms Knoesen brings to this position a well – established 39- year background in deeds registration. She started her career as a Deeds Controller in 1985, was transferred to Justice College as a law lecturer whilst she was also writing the South African Deeds Registration Practice Manual completed in 1996. Thereafter she worked in the office of the Chief Registrar of Deeds before she was appointed as the Registrar of Deeds: Bloemfontein in the Free State province of South Africa in 2002. It was the first time that a female became a Registrar of Deeds. In 2014 she was promoted to Chief Registrar of Deeds.

Carlize holds a National Diploma in Deeds Registration from the University of South Africa. She is also the holder of a Baccalaureus Iuris and Baccalaureus Legum Degrees from the University of Pretoria.

Ms Knoesen is also a member of the International Property Registries Association and International Centre of Registration Law (IPRA – CINDER).