According to the Companies Act 71 of 2008, certain organizations must compile their financial statements in line with ISRE 4410 or have independent reviews of their financial statements conducted in accordance with ISRE 2400.

In contrast to the reasonable assurance offered by the external auditor, an independent reviewer offers limited assurance on a set of financial statements. This is known as an alternative assurance engagement.

Only businesses that could be categorized as non-owner operated and non-public interests need to undergo an independent examination. Owner-managed businesses with PI Scores of under 100 may choose to voluntarily undergo an Independent Review once a year.

A compilation engagement is not an assurance engagement. The compiler does not provide assurance on a set of financial statements.