Buying property in South Africa? Watch out for the voetstoots clause. Voetstoots means you buy the property ‘as is’. No guarantees. No repairs. What you see is what you get. In terms of South African law, a voetstoots clause protects the seller — BUT here is the catch. If the seller knew about a hidden defect and deliberately did not disclose it, the clause will NOT protect them. That’s called fraudulent non-disclosure. So here’s what you must do: Inspect the property properly; and Ask for a wri