Government · Contact details
Guardian Fund Contact Details
There is no single national Guardian’s Fund number: you contact the Guardian’s Fund at the Master of the High Court office where your matter or estate is registered, for example Pretoria on 012 339 7794 / 012 339 7729 or Cape Town on 021 832 3014. The Guardian’s Fund is administered by the Master of the High Court under the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, and each Master’s office has its own Guardian’s Fund.
Guardian’s Fund contact details at a glance
| Route | Details |
|---|---|
| Pretoria Master: Guardians Fund Customer Care | 012 339 7794 / 012 339 7729 |
| Pretoria Master: switchboard | 012 339 3333 / 012 339 7700 |
| Johannesburg Master: switchboard/helpdesk | 011 429 8000 / 8004 / 8061 (Helpdesk) |
| Bloemfontein Master: Guardians Fund Enquiries | 051 411 5507 / 051 411 5578 |
| Bloemfontein Master: office mailbox | MasterBloemfontein@justice.gov.za |
| Cape Town Master: Guardians Fund Enquiries | 021 832 3014 |
| Grahamstown (Makhanda) Master: Guardians Fund | 046 603 4004 |
| Grahamstown (Makhanda) Master: office mailbox | MasterGrahamstown@justice.gov.za |
| Kimberley Master: Guardian’s Fund | 053 831 1942 |
| Kimberley Master: office mailbox | MasterKimberley@justice.gov.za |
| Pietermaritzburg Master: Guardian’s Fund Helpdesk | 033 264 7046 / 033 264 7027 |
| Durban Master: switchboard | 031 327 0600 |
| Durban Master: office mailbox | MasterDurban@justice.gov.za |
| Polokwane Master: switchboard | 015 230 6000 |
| Thohoyandou Master: switchboard | 015 962 1032 |
| Thohoyandou Master: office mailbox | MasterThohoyandou@justice.gov.za |
| Mahikeng Master: switchboard | 018 381 4122 / 018 381 8585 |
| Mbombela Master: switchboard | 013 101 3721 |
| Middelburg Master: switchboard | 013 282 5347 |
| Bhisho Master: switchboard | 040 608 6600 / 040 639 2087 |
| Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) Master: switchboard | 041 403 5100 |
| Mthatha Master: switchboard | 047 531 2120 |
| Gazetted Unclaimed Guardian’s Funds List | justice.gov.za/master/guardian-uc-list.html |
| Guardian’s Fund claim and maintenance forms (J251, J251A, J341, J341A) | justice.gov.za/master/forms.html |
Official contact channels
Start with the Master’s office where the estate or matter is registered. Six offices publish a dedicated Guardian’s Fund line: Pretoria, Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Grahamstown (Makhanda), Kimberley and Pietermaritzburg. The other offices publish only a main switchboard, so ask for the Guardian’s Fund section when you call.
Branch pages with full office details: Guardian’s Fund Pretoria, Guardian’s Fund Cape Town and Guardian’s Fund Grahamstown.
Services and responsibilities
The Guardian’s Fund holds money paid to the Master for minors, people incapable of managing their own affairs, unborn heirs, and missing or untraceable heirs. The money is invested with the PIC.
- Maintenance: school or university fees, clothes, medical costs and boarding can be paid from interest and up to R250 000 of capital. Apply on forms J341 and J341A with quotations.
- Claims at majority: a minor claims at 18, or on marriage or a court declaration of majority, on form J251 with a certified ID and fingerprint verification. Fingerprints can be verified at any Master’s Office or at various Magistrate’s Courts.
- Unclaimed money: claimable accounts are advertised in the Government Gazette every September, each account three times. Money unclaimed for 30 years after it becomes claimable is forfeited to the state.
- Cost: administration is free. The Master’s only commission is 5% on dividends paid in by trustees or liquidators for missing creditors in insolvent estates.
Office and address information
The Chief Master’s national office is on the 22nd Floor, SALU Building, 316 Thabo Sehume Street, Pretoria (Private Bag X81, Pretoria, 0001). The Pretoria Master’s office is at Metropark, 351 Francis Baard, Pretoria (Private Bag X60, Pretoria, 0001).
Published public hours differ by office:
- Pretoria Master: 07:45 to 13:00
- Bloemfontein Master: 08:00 to 16:00
- Cape Town Master: 08:00 to 13:00
- Pietermaritzburg Master: 07:45 to 16:00
Applications and escalation
- Check the Gazetted Unclaimed Guardian’s Funds List, published each September.
- Identify the Master’s office where the estate or matter is registered, and contact it first.
- Complete form J251 for a capital claim, or J341 and J341A for maintenance or interest, and attach a certified copy of your ID or passport and supporting documents.
- Have your fingerprints verified at a Master’s Office or a Magistrate’s Court.
- Payment is made by EFT into the payee’s own bank account.
If your matter is not resolved, escalate within the office: the Assistant Master, then the Deputy Master, then the Head of Office, and then the Office of the Chief Master.
Be careful of tracing agents. The Department of Justice says cession agreements with tracing agents over Guardian’s Fund claims are unlawful. Payments go only to the person in the Master’s records, and tracers may not collect on a beneficiary’s behalf.
For other public bodies, browse the government hub or the government directory G to H listings.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Guardian’s Fund contact number?
There is no single national number. Call the Guardian’s Fund line at the Master’s office handling your matter, such as Pretoria on 012 339 7794 / 012 339 7729, Cape Town on 021 832 3014 or Bloemfontein on 051 411 5507 / 051 411 5578.
How do I claim from the Guardian’s Fund at 18?
Complete form J251, attach a certified ID copy, and have your fingerprints verified at a Master’s Office or a Magistrate’s Court. Payment is made by EFT into your own bank account.
Does the Guardian’s Fund charge fees?
Administration is free. The only commission is 5% on dividends paid in for missing creditors in insolvent estates.
Should I use a tracing agent to claim guardians fund money?
The Department of Justice says tracing-agent cession agreements over Guardian’s Fund claims are unlawful, and tracers may not collect on your behalf.
Sources
- Department of Justice, Master of the High Court contacts: justice.gov.za/master/contacts.htm, read 2026-09-26
- Department of Justice, Guardian’s Fund: justice.gov.za/master/guardian.html, read 2026-09-26
- Department of Justice, Unclaimed Guardian’s Funds list: justice.gov.za/master/guardian-uc-list.html, read 2026-09-26