Home Affairs Issues Final Warning as Customary Marriage Registration Closes 31 August
- The Department of Home Affairs confirmed the special two-year customary marriage registration window closes on 31 August 2026
- The window was opened on 1 September 2024 to help couples in unregistered customary unions formalise their marital status under South African law
- Qualifying couples must visit a Home Affairs branch with identity documents, family witnesses, and supporting evidence such as a lobola agreement
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SOUTH AFRICA — The Department of Home Affairs has issued an urgent reminder to couples in unregistered customary marriages, warning that the special two-year registration window closes on 31 August 2026, leaving only days for eligible partners to act.
The window was introduced on 1 September 2024 to give couples in traditional unions an opportunity to regularise their marital status. It covers both marriages concluded before the Recognition of Customary Marriages Act came into force in November 2000, and those entered into after that date which were never formally registered within the standard timeframe.
What qualifies as a customary marriage
Under South African law, a customary marriage is a traditional union negotiated and celebrated in accordance with indigenous African customs, typically involving family negotiations and lobolo arrangements. Such marriages carry the same legal rights and protections as civil marriages registered at Home Affairs.
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Both partners must be at least 18 years old and must provide full mutual consent. The law also recognises polygynous unions, provided that any multi-wife arrangement is supported by a court-approved property contract.
Crucially, an unregistered customary marriage is not automatically invalid. However, without an official certificate from Home Affairs, partners may struggle to access key legal protections including estate inheritance, pension payouts, maintenance claims, and property rights.
How to register before the deadline
According to the statement, to complete registration before the window closes, couples are required to visit their nearest Home Affairs branch together. They must bring their identity documents, family witnesses, and supporting documentation such as a lobola agreement.
Community leaders, traditional leaders, and civil society organisations are actively assisting outreach efforts to ensure eligible couples are informed and able to register in time. The department has cautioned that leaving registration to the final days risks long queues and delays at branches nationwide.
South Africans in qualifying unions are strongly advised to act without further delay to secure the legal protections that formalising their marriage provides.
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More on South African changes
- Briefly News recently reported that Meta will start charging WhatsApp Business API users per message from October, with several major South African companies set to feel the impact.
- Gauteng e-hailing drivers are being required to register on a new provincial transport system, with drivers needing to submit several important documents before they can continue operating.
- Nearly 80,000 SASSA beneficiaries still need to switch from gold cards to black cards before the 31 August deadline, with Postbank warning that the cut-off will not be extended.
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Source: Briefly News
