Laws in South Africa
How South Africa is classified on 40 of the 48 laws this site maps, grouped by subject. Each links to the full answer and its source.
Body & Life
- Abortion
- Legal on request Abortion is available on request, subject to a gestational limit.
- Suicide Laws
- Not a crime
- FGM Laws
- Specifically banned FGM is banned by a dedicated law or an explicit criminal provision.
- Surrogacy
- Commercial legal Surrogacy is legal and regulated, allowing commercial arrangements with court validation.
Money & Games
- Gambling Age
- 18 Minimum age to gamble: 18.
- Cryptocurrency
- Legal Cryptocurrency is legal to own and trade.
- Online Gambling
- Varies by region Laws exist but are weakly enforced, suggesting a complex or inconsistent legal landscape without specific national status details.
Daily Life
- Public Smoking Bans
- Partial ban South Africa restricts smoking in public places but allows designated smoking areas up to 25% of floor space.
- Driving Age
- 18+ Minimum age to drive a car: 18.
- Homeschooling
- Legal Homeschooling is legal as an alternative to the mandatory public school system.
Animals & Environment
- Fur Farming
- Legal No ban on fur farming.
- Cosmetic Animal Testing
- No ban No ban on testing cosmetics on animals.
- Plastic Bag Bans
- Taxed / charged Plastic bags are legal but carry a mandatory charge or tax.
Civic & Family
- Voting Age
- 18 The voting age is 18.
- Compulsory Voting
- Voluntary Voting is voluntary.
- Minimum Working Age
- 14–15 Minimum working age: 15.
Relationships & Sexuality
- Same-Sex Marriage
- Marriage legal Same-sex marriage is legally performed and recognized.
- Same-Sex Activity
- Legal Same-sex sexual activity is legal.
- Age of Consent
- 16–17 The age of consent is 16.
- Sex Work
- Illegal Both buying and selling sex are illegal in South Africa.
- Pornography
- Restricted Adult pornography is legal but restricted to sales to persons over 18 in registered stores.
- Divorce
- Heavily restricted Divorce is legal but requires a long period of separation.
- Same-Sex Adoption
- Joint adoption legal Joint adoption by same-sex couples has been legal since 2002.
- Incest Laws
- Criminal offense
- Marriage Age
- 18+ Minimum marriage age: 18.
Speech & Belief
- Blasphemy Laws
- Fines / civil penalties Blasphemy is a common law offence, but hate speech protections only carry civil penalties.
- Holocaust Denial
- No specific law No specific law against Holocaust denial.
- Flag Desecration
- Legal / protected speech There is currently no law prohibiting flag desecration in post-apartheid South Africa.
- Conversion Therapy
- No ban South Africa has no specific ban on conversion therapy, though abusive practices are prosecuted under general criminal law.
Justice & Weapons
- Death Penalty
- Fully abolished Fully abolished for all crimes.
- Gun Laws
- Restrictive Handguns are licensed only at the authorities' discretion, or only to club members or existing owners.
- School Corporal Punishment
- Banned The South African Schools Act prohibits corporal punishment in schools.
- Military Conscription
- No conscription
- Jury Trials
- Not used Jury trials were abolished in 1969 and are not currently used in the South African justice system.
Substances
- Cannabis
- Legal Cannabis is legal for recreational use.
- Drinking Age
- 18–20 Minimum age to buy alcohol: 18.
- Smoking Age
- 18 Minimum age to buy tobacco: 18.
- Psilocybin Mushrooms
- Illegal Psilocybin is a controlled substance; possession is a criminal offence.
- Khat
- Illegal Khat use is illegal in South Africa, and the plant is a protected tree.
- E-Cigarettes
- Regulated Nicotine-containing e-cigarettes are scheduled drugs requiring a prescription and pharmacy sale.
Nearby countries
A visual reference compiled from Wikipedia’s law-by-country articles, not legal advice. Laws change and summaries simplify — check a primary source before relying on anything here.