What is an Offer to Purchase in South Africa?

An Offer to Purchase (OTP) is the written agreement between a buyer and seller that records the agreed terms of a property sale. Once signed by both parties it is a legally binding contract. Standard OTPs include the parties, property description, purchase price, deposit, bond clause, occupation date, voetstoots clause, suspensive conditions, and compliance certificates.

Do I need an attorney for the Offer to Purchase?

You are not legally required to have an attorney draft your OTP — but you should always have one review it before signing. Standard estate-agent OTPs frequently miss important suspensive conditions, fail to specify clearance certificates correctly, or contain voetstoots clauses that prejudice the buyer. The downside risk on a six-or-seven-figure transaction is enormous.

What is a suspensive condition?

A suspensive condition is a clause that "suspends" the contract from coming into effect until the condition is fulfilled. The most common is the bond clause — the OTP only becomes binding once the buyer is granted a home loan. If the condition is not fulfilled within the agreed period, the OTP lapses and neither party is bound.

Buying · Document Creator

A signing-ready Offer to Purchase,
drafted in 10 minutes.

Fourteen guided steps cover everything a standard residential OTP needs — parties, price, bond clause, occupation, voetstoots, compliance certificates. Out the other side: a PDF and Word file, emailed instantly.

14 steps · auto-savedPDF + Word outputAttorney-drafted template

Step 1 of 14— Property Details0%

Property

Parties

Financial

Terms

Submit

Step 1 of 14 — Property Details

Property Details

Tell us about the property being sold.

Enter the details exactly as they appear on the title deed or your rates clearance certificate. If you are unsure of the erf number, check your municipal rates account.

Street Address *

Property Type *

Freehold (you own the land) or Sectional Title (unit in a complex/scheme).

Freehold / Full Title

Sectional Title

Erf Number *

Extent / Size *

m²

Title Deed Reference (optional)

Found on the title deed document.

Rates Account Number (optional)

Found on your municipal rates statement.

1 / 14

This tool generates a starting-point document only and does not constitute legal advice. Always have your OTP reviewed by a qualified attorney before signing. Get a free attorney review.

A signing-ready Offer to Purchase, drafted in 10 minutes.

Property Details

A signing-ready Offer to Purchase,
drafted in 10 minutes.