Is khat legal in South Africa?
Illegal
Khat use is illegal in South Africa, and the plant is a protected tree.
South Africa is one of 24 countries classified “Illegal” for khat — 83% of the 29 with data. (Also searched as qat.)
Source
- Taken from
- Wikipedia: Khat
- Last checked
- 17 September 2026
- How it was classified
- Classified by a language model from the source text, then checked against hand-verified reference countries.
Nearby countries
- Kenya
- Legal Khat is legal in Kenya, though its active components are classed as Class C substances.
- Ethiopia
- Legal Khat is legal and widely cultivated; it is one of Ethiopia's major export crops.
- Yemen
- Legal Khat is legal in Yemen, though cultivation and sales are subject to regulations and taxes.
- United Arab Emirates
- Illegal Khat is illegal in the UAE under federal law, with possession and selling punishable by life imprisonment.
- Israel
- Legal Khat is legal in Israel in its natural form, though distilled components and beverages are illegal.
- Greece
- Illegal Khat is classified as an illegal narcotic under Greek law.
Other laws in South Africa
- Cannabis
- Legal
- Drinking Age
- 18–20
- Psilocybin Mushrooms
- Illegal
- E-Cigarettes
- Regulated
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.