An edictal citation is ordered when a defendant is or is believed to be outside the Republic and their exact whereabouts are unknown. No document instituting proceedings can be served outside the Republic of South Africa unless permission is granted by a court.
To serve a summons in another country, we must convince a court by way of an edictal citation application that we have exhausted all other means of serving the summons on the defendant.
In the application you set forth the nature of your claim, grounds on which your claim is based and grounds upon which the court has the necessary jurisdiction to hear the application. The manner of service you request also forms part of your application.
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