Hybrid AGM Production in South Africa
Last Updated: 3 hours ago by Astral Studios Staff
Most boards spend weeks on the AGM notice and the voting platform. Then, on the day, the stream freezes during question time. Or online shareholders can’t hear a question from the floor.
Under South African rules, those aren’t small glitches. They can stop online shareholders from taking part properly. And taking part is the whole point of an AGM.
This guide covers what the rules expect and what a production team does. It also covers costs.
Key takeaways
- Hybrid and virtual AGMs are legal here if everyone can talk in real time.
- CIPC expects directors and executives to stay visible for the whole meeting.
- The voting platform and the video production are two separate jobs.
- A rehearsal and a backup stream protect you from the worst failures.
What is a hybrid AGM?
An annual general meeting (AGM) is where a company’s board reports to its shareholders. Shareholders ask questions and vote on resolutions.
There are three main formats:
- In-person: everyone meets in one room.
- Hybrid: some people attend in person, and others join online.
- Virtual-only: everyone joins online, with no physical venue.
A hybrid AGM isn’t a webinar where shareholders just watch. Online shareholders must be able to take part, not only listen. In fact, a 2023 CIPC legal opinion went further. It said a meeting without real-time questions may not count as an AGM.
What the rules say about virtual and hybrid AGMs
This is a plain-language summary, not legal advice. Your company secretary or attorney should confirm what applies to you.
Section 63 of the Companies Act
Section 63 of the Companies Act allows a shareholders’ meeting to happen fully online. It also lets people join an in-person meeting electronically. However, the technology must let everyone talk to each other at the same time. Nobody should need a middle person to pass messages on.
The notice must say that online participation is available, and explain how to join. Shareholders usually pay their own access costs, unless the company decides to cover them.
CIPC Guideline 1 of 2024
In October 2024, the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) issued a guideline for electronic AGMs. It expects companies to:
- let shareholders raise matters as formal agenda items
- accept written, spoken, phone and video questions
- share the agenda at the start, so people know when they can ask questions
- let attendees see who else is there and talk to each other
- keep all board and executive members visible in real time, for the whole meeting
That last point is really a production job. Someone has to make sure every director stays on camera.
Why watch-only virtual AGMs fall short
Some companies stream the meeting but take questions only by email beforehand. CIPC’s view is that this isn’t good enough. Shareholders need to ask questions live and hear the answers.
The debate is still going. In a September 2026 Business Day opinion piece, the CEO of JSE Investor Services made a similar point. She argued that online attendees deserve the same chance to engage as people present.
Who needs hybrid AGM production?
- JSE-listed companies with many shareholders
- Large private companies with shareholders in different cities
- Non-profit companies (NPCs) and industry associations
- Medical schemes and retirement funds
- SETAs and other public entities
SETAs and public entities hold AGMs under their own rules, not the Companies Act. Still, the production needs look much the same. Sectional title body corporates follow different laws again. They usually need a much simpler setup.
The platform vs the production: two different jobs
Many boards assume the meeting platform handles everything. It doesn’t.
Meeting platforms and transfer secretaries handle registration, proxies and voting. They check who’s a shareholder and count the votes.
A production team handles what people see and hear. That means cameras, microphones, lighting, streaming, backup and the recording.
Most hybrid AGMs need both, working closely together. A good production team works alongside your platform. It feeds the platform clean video and sound.
What a hybrid AGM production team handles
Cameras on every director and executive
One wide shot of the stage isn’t enough. Online viewers can’t see faces or tell who’s speaking. So plan enough cameras to show each speaker clearly. Add a wide shot of the room too.
Sound for questions from the floor
Online shareholders must hear questions from people in the room. That means roving or standing microphones for the floor, not just the panel. Without them, half the meeting goes silent online.
The guideline expects spoken and video questions, not just typed ones. So the team must put online speakers on the room’s speakers and screen.
On-screen agenda, names and results
Show the agenda at the start, and label each speaker with a name caption. Then display the voting results for both audiences while the chair reads them out.
Backup internet and a second stream
Venue Wi-Fi often struggles under pressure. A safer setup uses a wired connection. It adds a backup line, like a second fibre link or bonded mobile data. A second stream adds another safety net. Load shedding is less of a worry these days. Still, a backup power plan makes sense.
Recording and a highlights video for the website
Just Share’s AGM best-practice guide recommends posting a recording on the company website soon after the meeting. It also points out that a recording doesn’t replace written minutes.
A full recording covers the governance side. A short highlights video does something else. It gives people who missed the meeting something they’ll actually watch. Here’s an example, with highlights from the EWSETA 2025 AGM.
Captions and sign language
Captions help shareholders who are hard of hearing, or who watch on mute. A South African Sign Language interpreter helps Deaf shareholders follow along. Our guide to closed captions and SASL for corporate video explains both.
Hybrid AGM production costs compared
Every AGM is different, so these figures are indicative only. They cover video production, not platform or transfer secretary fees. Always get a written quote before you set a budget.
| Setup | Best suited to | Cameras and crew | Indicative cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual-only AGM from a boardroom | Smaller companies, NPCs, associations | 2 cameras, small crew, stream to your platform | R25,000 to R60,000 |
| Hybrid AGM at one venue | Mid-sized and listed companies | 3 to 4 cameras, floor mics, backup stream | R60,000 to R150,000 |
| Large hybrid AGM | Large listed companies, multiple venues | Multiple feeds, full backup for every system | From R150,000 |
| Rehearsal day | Any hybrid or virtual AGM | Full crew, test run with the board | R10,000 to R25,000 |
| Edited recording for the website | Any AGM | Editor only | R5,000 to R15,000 |
| AGM highlights video | Stakeholder updates, social media | Editor, plus extra shots on the day | R8,000 to R20,000 |
For more on pricing, see our guides to hybrid event costs and event live streaming costs.
Hybrid AGM checklist: from notice to minutes
- Confirm the format with your company secretary and board.
- Book production as soon as you set the AGM date.
- Include clear joining details in the AGM notice.
- Visit the venue to test internet, power and sound.
- Rehearse with the chair, directors and platform team.
- Open online access 30 minutes before the start.
- Record the whole meeting.
- Publish the recording and full minutes on your website.
Common hybrid AGM mistakes
- Using one wide shot of the whole board
- Forgetting microphones for questions from the floor
- Relying on venue Wi-Fi with no backup
- Paraphrasing or grouping shareholder questions
- Skipping the rehearsal
- Holding “general” questions back until after the vote
Not sure whether hybrid or virtual suits you better? Our comparison of virtual vs hybrid events covers the trade-offs.
Which hybrid AGM format fits your organisation?
- Small NPC or association with members in one city: an in-person meeting with a simple stream, or a virtual-only AGM.
- Mid-sized company with spread-out shareholders: a virtual-only AGM from a boardroom.
- JSE-listed company expecting active questions: a full hybrid AGM with video questions.
- Organisation with a history of tough AGMs: full hybrid, with a rehearsal and backup for everything.
- SETA or public entity: a hybrid stream, plus a highlights video for stakeholders.
If shareholders will appear on camera, our guide to filming consent under POPIA is worth a read.
Planning your next AGM?
Your AGM only happens once a year, so it pays to get it right. Good production keeps every shareholder in the meeting, in the room or online. Contact us for hybrid AGM production from Astral Studios.
Frequently asked questions
Are virtual AGMs legal in South Africa?
Yes. Section 63 of the Companies Act allows fully online meetings. Everyone must be able to communicate in real time. Your company’s MOI may add its own rules, so check it first.
What’s the difference between a hybrid AGM and a virtual AGM?
A hybrid AGM has a physical venue, with some shareholders joining online. A virtual AGM happens fully online, with no venue. Both must let online shareholders take part in real time.
They must be able to. CIPC’s guideline expects written, spoken, phone and video questions during the meeting. Taking questions only in advance isn’t enough.
Under section 63, shareholders usually pay their own access costs, like data. However, the company can choose to cover them.
Do all directors need to be on camera during a hybrid AGM?
CIPC’s guideline expects all board and executive members to stay visible in real time. That applies for the whole meeting. So plan enough cameras to show each one clearly.
Should we record our AGM?
Yes. Best practice is to post the recording on your website soon after the meeting. You still need full written minutes, though.
How far ahead should we book AGM production?
Book as soon as you set the AGM date. That leaves time for a venue visit, internet tests and a rehearsal.
Glossary
- AGM: annual general meeting, where a board reports to shareholders and they vote on resolutions.
- CIPC: the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission, which registers and regulates companies in South Africa.
- Floor microphone: a mic for people in the audience, so everyone hears their questions.
- Hybrid meeting: a meeting with a physical venue, where some people also join online.
- MOI: Memorandum of Incorporation, the founding document that sets a company’s own rules.
- Proxy: a person who votes on behalf of a shareholder.
- Quorum: the minimum number of voting rights present for a meeting to be valid.
- Stream redundancy: backup internet lines and streams that take over if the main one fails.
- Transfer secretary: the company that keeps the share register and often runs AGM voting.
- Virtual-only meeting: a meeting held fully online, with no physical venue.
