Warning for unregistered married couples in South Africa

• The Department of Home Affairs has warned unregistered married couples in South Africa to register their customary marriages before the special registration period closes on 31 August 2026.
• The special registration period started on 1 September 2024, allowing couples in unregistered customary marriages to fix their marital status, and applies to marriages conducted under African Customary Law, regardless of when they took place.
• While missing the deadline may cause practical difficulties in proving the marriage's existence, legal experts have urged couples not to panic, as unregistered customary marriages remain fully valid in the eyes of the law.