How many rights are in the South African Bill of Rights?

Chapter 2 runs from section 7 to section 39 — 33 sections in total. Sections 9 to 35 set out the substantive rights, while sections 7, 8 and 36 to 39 deal with application, limitation, states of emergency, enforcement and interpretation.

Do the rights apply to non-citizens?

Most rights apply to 'everyone' in South Africa, including non-citizens. A few are reserved for citizens — political rights (s 19), citizenship (s 20), the right to a passport (s 21) and freedom of trade, occupation and profession (s 22).

Which rights can never be taken away, even in a state of emergency?

Section 37 protects a non-derogable core: the right to life, human dignity, freedom from slavery and torture, equality on the grounds of race and sex, and key children's rights and fair-trial protections.

What can I do if a government official ignores my rights?

Ask for the decision and reasons in writing, complain internally, then escalate free of charge to the South African Human Rights Commission or the Public Protector. Section 38 also allows you to approach a court directly.

Is the downloadable PDF the official text?

No. The PDF is our plain-English summary table with references. For the official wording, use the Constitution itself on gov.za or the Department of Justice PDF linked in the sources above.

Human Rights

The South African Bill of Rights: Full Table Explained in Plain English (+ Free PDF)

The Bill of Rights is Chapter 2 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996. It lists the rights every person in the country holds, from equality and dignity to housing, health care, education and the rights of arrested people. Here is the full table in plain English, plus a printable PDF.

Who needs this

Anyone dealing with a government office, learners and students, employees, tenants facing eviction, people who have been arrested, community organisations, and anyone who wants a clear printed copy of their constitutional rights.

Featured guide

The South African Bill of Rights Explained in Plain English

The Bill of Rights is Chapter 2 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996. It runs from section 7 to section 39 and it is the part of the Constitution that most directly affects ordinary people's daily lives — at the clinic, at work, at a police station, at school, and when dealing with any government office.

This page gives you the full table of rights in plain English, plus a printable PDF version you can keep, share, or hand out at a community meeting.

Why the Bill of Rights matters when you deal with government

Every official you deal with — a Home Affairs clerk, a SASSA officer, a municipal cashier, a police officer — is bound by the Bill of Rights. Three sections come up constantly in admin disputes:

Section 33 (just administrative action) — a decision that affects you must be lawful, reasonable and procedurally fair, and you can ask for written reasons. This is given effect by the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act 3 of 2000 (PAJA).
Section 32 (access to information) — you can request records held by the state, and records held by a private body that you need to protect a right, using the Promotion of Access to Information Act 2 of 2000 (PAIA).
Section 9 (equality) — you may not be treated differently because of your race, gender, disability, language, nationality of origin or any other listed ground.

If an office refuses to help you, ask for the refusal and the reason in writing. That single request converts a queue argument into an administrative-law question.

The rights are not absolute

Section 36 is the limitation clause. A right can be limited, but only by a law of general application and only where the limitation is reasonable and justifiable in an open and democratic society based on human dignity, equality and freedom. An office rule, a notice on a wall, or "that's our policy" is not a law of general application.

Section 37 deals with states of emergency. Even then, some rights can never be suspended, including the right to life, human dignity, freedom from torture and slavery, equality on the grounds of race and sex, and the core protections for children.

How to enforce a right

Section 38 says anyone may approach a competent court when a right in the Bill of Rights has been infringed or threatened — including acting on behalf of someone who cannot act for themselves, or in the public interest.

Practical, cheaper first steps before court:

Complain in writing to the department, keeping proof of delivery and a reference number.
South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) — free complaints process for human-rights violations.
Public Protector — for maladministration, unfair conduct or abuse of power by state institutions.
Legal Aid South Africa — free or subsidised legal representation if you qualify on means.
Small Claims Court / Equality Court — the Equality Court hears unfair discrimination and hate-speech matters without a lawyer.

Rights you are most likely to use

Arrested or detained (s 35) — you have the right to remain silent, to be told why you are being held, to a lawyer, to be brought before a court within 48 hours, and to reasonable conditions of detention.
Housing (s 26) — nobody may be evicted from their home or have their home demolished without a court order made after considering all the relevant circumstances.
Health care (s 27) — no one may be refused emergency medical treatment.
Education (s 29) — everyone has the right to a basic education, including adult basic education.
Labour (s 23) — fair labour practices, the right to join a trade union, and the right to strike.
Children (s 28) — in every matter concerning a child, the child's best interests are of paramount importance.

References

Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 — Chapter 2 (Bill of Rights): gov.za
Full Constitution, Department of Justice: justice.gov.za
South African Human Rights Commission: sahrc.org.za
Public Protector South Africa: pprotect.org
Legal Aid South Africa: legal-aid.co.za
Promotion of Access to Information Act 2 of 2000 (PAIA) and Promotion of Administrative Justice Act 3 of 2000 (PAJA)

This is an independent plain-English summary and not legal advice. Always read the wording of the Constitution itself, or get legal help, before relying on a right in a dispute.

Download a printable checklist

A one-page PDF of everything you need to bring with you. Tick items off before you go.

The Bill of Rights table

All 33 sections of Chapter 2 of the Constitution, summarised in plain English — download the full table as a printable PDF with references.

Section	Right	What it means in plain English
s 7	Rights (application of the Bill)	The Bill of Rights is the cornerstone of democracy. The state must respect, protect, promote and fulfil these rights.
s 8	Application	The Bill of Rights binds government and, where applicable, private people and companies too.
s 9	Equality	Everyone is equal before the law. No unfair discrimination on race, gender, sex, pregnancy, marital status, ethnic or social origin, colour, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, conscience, belief, culture, language or birth.
s 10	Human dignity	Everyone has inherent dignity and the right to have that dignity respected and protected.
s 11	Life	Everyone has the right to life. The death penalty is unconstitutional in South Africa.
s 12	Freedom and security of the person	No arbitrary arrest, detention without trial, torture, or cruel treatment. Includes freedom from all violence — public or domestic — and control over your own body.
s 13	Slavery, servitude and forced labour	No one may be held in slavery, servitude or forced labour.
s 14	Privacy	Your person, home and property may not be searched, and your possessions may not be seized, without lawful authority. Your communications may not be intercepted.
s 15	Freedom of religion, belief and opinion	You may follow any religion or none. Religious observances at state institutions must be voluntary and equitable.
s 16	Freedom of expression	Includes press freedom, artistic creativity and academic freedom — but not propaganda for war, incitement to violence, or hate speech.
s 17	Assembly, demonstration, picket and petition	You may protest, picket and hand over petitions — peacefully and unarmed.
s 18	Freedom of association	You may join (or refuse to join) any group, club, union, church or political party.
s 19	Political rights	Free, fair, regular elections; the right to vote in secret, to stand for office and to campaign for a party of your choice.
s 20	Citizenship	No citizen may be deprived of citizenship.
s 21	Freedom of movement and residence	You may move freely, leave and enter the country, and live anywhere in South Africa. Citizens have the right to a passport.
s 22	Freedom of trade, occupation and profession	Citizens may choose their work freely; practice may be regulated by law.
s 23	Labour relations	Fair labour practices, the right to join a union, to organise and to strike; employers may form employers' organisations.
s 24	Environment	An environment that is not harmful to health or well-being, and protection of the environment for present and future generations.
s 25	Property	No arbitrary deprivation of property. Expropriation only in terms of law of general application, for a public purpose, with compensation, plus land reform provisions.
s 26	Housing	Access to adequate housing, progressively realised. No eviction or demolition of a home without a court order after considering all circumstances.
s 27	Health care, food, water and social security	Access to health care (including reproductive health), sufficient food and water, and social assistance if you cannot support yourself. No one may be refused emergency medical treatment.
s 28	Children	Children under 18 have rights to a name and nationality, family or parental care, basic nutrition, shelter, health care and social services, and protection from neglect, abuse and exploitative labour. The child's best interests are paramount.
s 29	Education	Basic education (including adult basic education) and access to further education, in the official language of your choice where reasonably practicable.
s 30	Language and culture	You may use the language and follow the cultural life of your choice, consistent with the Bill of Rights.
s 31	Cultural, religious and linguistic communities	Members of communities may enjoy their culture, practise their religion and use their language, and form associations.
s 32	Access to information	Access to information held by the state, and information held by another person needed to exercise or protect a right (given effect by PAIA).
s 33	Just administrative action	Administrative action must be lawful, reasonable and procedurally fair, with written reasons if your rights are adversely affected (given effect by PAJA).
s 34	Access to courts	Disputes must be able to be decided in a fair public hearing by a court or independent tribunal.
s 35	Arrested, detained and accused persons	The right to remain silent, to be told of your rights, to a lawyer (state-funded if substantial injustice would otherwise result), to be brought to court within 48 hours, to bail where the interests of justice permit, and to a fair public trial.
s 36	Limitation of rights	Rights may only be limited by a law of general application, to the extent that the limitation is reasonable and justifiable in an open and democratic society.
s 37	States of emergency	Rights may be derogated from only under a declared state of emergency, and some rights (life, dignity, equality on race/sex, non-torture, children's core protections) can never be taken away.
s 38	Enforcement of rights	Anyone may approach a competent court alleging a right has been infringed, including on behalf of someone else or in the public interest.
s 39	Interpretation of the Bill of Rights	Courts must promote the values of an open democratic society based on human dignity, equality and freedom, and consider international law.

Source: Chapter 2 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996. Summaries are our own plain-English wording, not the official text.

What you need before you start

Your ID document or ID number when lodging a complaint with a state body
Written record of what happened: dates, times, office, and the name of the official
Any letters, SMSes, reference numbers or receipts you received
A written request for reasons if an official decision went against you (section 33 / PAJA)
Proof of delivery of your complaint (email, registered post slip or stamped copy)
Proof of income if you want to apply to Legal Aid South Africa

Step-by-step process

1
Identify which right is affected
Use the table on this page to find the section number — for example section 26 for eviction, section 27 for refused emergency treatment, section 33 for an unfair or unexplained official decision, or section 35 if you were arrested.
2
Ask for the decision and the reasons in writing
Section 33 entitles you to written reasons where administrative action adversely affects your rights. Put the request in writing, keep a copy, and note the reference number.
3
Complain internally first
Every department has a complaints or service desk. Lodge it in writing, keep the reference, and give a reasonable deadline for a reply.
4
Escalate to the SAHRC or the Public Protector
The South African Human Rights Commission handles human-rights violations; the Public Protector handles maladministration and abuse of power by state institutions. Both are free.
5
Get legal help if it goes further
Legal Aid South Africa provides free or subsidised representation if you qualify on means. The Equality Court hears unfair discrimination and hate-speech matters and you do not need a lawyer to start a case there.
6
Approach a court under section 38
Anyone may approach a competent court alleging that a right in the Bill of Rights has been infringed or threatened, including on behalf of someone else or in the public interest.

Where, how much, how long

Where to submit

The department concerned (in writing), the South African Human Rights Commission (sahrc.org.za), the Public Protector (pprotect.org), Legal Aid South Africa, the Equality Court at your local Magistrate's Court, or the High Court.

Fees

Free to complain to the SAHRC, the Public Protector and the Equality Court. Legal Aid is free or subsidised if you qualify on a means test. High Court litigation carries legal costs.

Processing time

Internal departmental complaints: usually 30 days. SAHRC and Public Protector investigations: several weeks to months depending on complexity. Court matters: months.

Common rejection reasons

Complaining verbally only, with no written record, reference number or proof of delivery
Not asking for written reasons for the decision, so there is nothing to review
Waiting too long — PAJA reviews generally must be brought within 180 days
Sending the complaint to the wrong body (the Public Protector cannot decide private disputes between individuals)
Relying on a summary like this one instead of the actual wording of the Constitution in a legal dispute

Official sources

Always confirm the latest requirements and fees on the official website before submitting.