The Constitutional Court is the highest court in South Africa. It plays a central role in interpreting, protecting and enforcing the Constitution and makes final decisions on some of the most important constitutional and legal questions in the country. Section 167 of the Constitution sets out its composition and jurisdiction. What is this court? The Constitutional Court sits at the highest level of South Africa's court system. No other South African court is above it. Althoug

The Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) is one of South Africa’s superior courts and is based in Bloemfontein in the Free State. As its name suggests, its primary function is to hear appeals, rather than cases being brought to court for the first time. What is this court? The Supreme Court of Appeal is South Africa’s highest court of appeal below the Constitutional Court. It is the successor to what was previously known as the Appellate Division. Today, its powers are principally g

The High Court of South Africa is a superior court with broad jurisdiction over civil, criminal and constitutional matters. Unlike the Supreme Court of Appeal, the High Court does not deal only with appeals. It can hear many matters for the first time, while also hearing appeals and reviews from lower courts. What is this court? There is one High Court of South Africa, which is divided into nine provincial Divisions. Each Division exercises jurisdiction within a particular ge

The Magistrates’ Courts are the courts that many South Africans are most likely to encounter in everyday legal matters. They deal with a large volume of civil and criminal cases and are generally more accessible geographically than the superior courts. South Africa’s Magistrates’ Courts are divided into District Courts and Regional Courts, each with different areas of jurisdiction and powers. What is this court? The Magistrates’ Courts form part of South Africa’s lower courts

The Small Claims Courts provide a simpler and more affordable way for individuals to resolve certain civil disputes without the formalities and costs usually associated with ordinary litigation. They are designed to make access to justice easier for relatively small claims. As of 1 August 2026, the monetary jurisdiction of the Small Claims Courts is R30 000. What is this court? A Small Claims Court is a court established to deal with certain civil claims involving relatively

Not every legal dispute in South Africa is dealt with through the ordinary court hierarchy. Some areas of law require specialised knowledge, procedures or forms of dispute resolution, and South Africa therefore has specialised courts, designated court services and statutory tribunals that deal with particular types of matters. It is important to distinguish between them. A specialised court is still a court, while a tribunal is generally a statutory adjudicative body created