MARRIAGE/DIVORCE
What is Abuse? (Public Information)
Check Your Marital Status (Service)
The Department of Home Affairs has launched a new online marriage verification service as part of the Check Your Marital Status Campaign.  > 
Applying for a Marriage Certificate (Service)
When you get married, you will be issued with a marriage certificate free of charge. If you want to get a copy of the certificate at a later date, you need to ...  > 
Getting Permission to Marry if You are Underage (Service)
Boys under 18 and girls under 15 cannot get married without special permission and anyone under the age of 21 has to get their parents' permission before they can get married.  > 
Recognition of Customary Marriages Act (Act)
(File type: pdf)
No. 120 of 1998
Department of Home Affairs (The Government of South Africa)
This Act provides for the recognition of customary marriages, specifies the requirements for a valid customary marriage and regulates the registration of customary marriages. It sets out some of the consequences of such a marriage including the proprietary consequences and that spouses in a customary marriage have equal status and capacity. It also regulates the dissolution of customary marriages.  > 
Getting Divorced (Service)
Married couples can dissolve their marriage through divorce. This ends the marriage and the divorced parties can legally marry again.  > 
SALC Report on Project 109: Review of the Marriage Act 25 of 1961 (Public Information)
(File type: pdf)
This report highlights the issues around the 1961 Act that need to be considered. It then reviews the discussion and comments contained in and following the Discussion Paper before making a revised recommendation. A draft Bill encompassing these suggestions is appended to the report.  > 
SALC Discussion Paper 104: Domestic Partnerships (Public Information)
This discussion paper considers possible approaches to legally recognising same-sex domestic partnerships and opposite-sex domestic partnerships where the couple has decided not to marry.  > 
SALC Report on Project 59: Islamic Marriages and Related Matters (Public Information)
(File type: doc)
This report considers the proposals made in the Discussion Paper and the public's responses to these. It includes a Draft Bill that encompasses the revised recommendations.  > 
SALC Discussion Paper 74: Customary Law Marriage (Public Information)
This discussion paper considers recommendations for changes to the laws around customary marriages in order to extend the recognition and protections that are enjoyed by civil marriages.  > 
The content on this page was last updated on 10 July 2012