Dr Rika van Zyl is an academic specialising in estate planning and trust law at the School of Financial Planning Law at the University of the Free State since 2008. 

She holds a Postgrad in Financial Planning Law, an LLM and LLD (completed in 2017), on the influence of the stipulatio alteri on the inter vivos trust in South Africa. Her focus areas of expertise are trusts and the rights of beneficiaries in trusts as well as the contract in favour of a third person and its application to South African insurance and trusts. Publications and papers in other fields of interest lie in family law matters (marriages) and the law of succession. 

She is the program director for the Advanced Diploma in Estate and Trust Administration at the UFS, where she works closely with the fiduciary industry community. 

She is an admitted Advocate of the Free State High Court of South Africa, an FPSA® with the FISA, a CFP® with the FPI and a TEP with STEP. 

2009. Deacon HJ and Snyman R "The show must go on!" Beserings van Dramastudente tydens opleiding. Potchefstroom Electronic Law Journal  Vol 12: 1. (IBSS accredited)

2013. Van Zyl R Die Regte van Lewensversekeringsbegunstigdes. Tydskrif vir die Suid-Afrikaanse Reg Vol 4. (IBSS accredited) (The rights of life insurance beneficiaries - based on the stipulatio alteri)

2015. Van Zyl R Die Aanvaardingsvereiste in lewensversekeringskontrakte. De Jure 48(1). (The acceptance requirement in life insurance contracts - based on the stipulatio alteri)

2018. Van Zyl R Die oorsprong en ontwikkeling van die stipulatio alteri tot ‘n suiwer verklaring in hedendaagse Suid- Afrikaanse reg (1) Tydskrif vir Hedendaagse Romeins-Hollandse Reg 81(3) p 418 – 436.

2018. Van Zyl R Die oorsprong en ontwikkeling van die stipulatio alteri tot ‘n suiwer verklaring in hedendaagse Suid- Afrikaanse reg (2) Tydskrif vir Hedendaagse Romeins-Hollandse Reg 81(4)p543 – 562.

2019. Van Zyl R The question of rights, acceptance and amendments of inter vivos trusts in terms of the stipulatio alteri” South African Law Journal 136 (4) p717 – 748.

2023. Van Zyl R “The Limitations on Freedom of Testation” Ch 12 in Perspectives in Financial Therapy Sarpong & Alsemgeest (ed) Springer. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-33362-0_7

2023. Van Zyl R "Allaying Estate Planning Fears through Trusts" Ch 13 in Perspectives in Financial Therapy Sarpong & Alsemgeest (ed) Springer. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-33362-0_7

2024. Van Zyl R “The Role of Public Policy in King v De Jager (CCT 315/18) [2021] ZACC 4 (19 February 2021)” Potchefstroom Electronic Law Journal vol 27(2024) https://doi.org/10.17159/1727-3781/2024/v27i0a15845

Law of Insurance

Law of Trusts

Tax Planning

Law of Succession

Law of Trusts

Financial Planning Law (Estate Planning, Law of Insurance, Financial Planning Environment, Tax Planning)