The news in brief
Parliament’s Home Affairs Committee completed nationwide public hearings. The Bill remains a legislative proposal in the sources reviewed; ending consultation does not itself change marriage ages or replace the existing Acts.
Parliament’s Home Affairs Committee announced the completion of nationwide public hearings on the Marriage Bill on 6 February 2026 (committee statement). Completing hearings is a step in legislative scrutiny. It does not, by itself, enact the proposed rules.
This distinction is especially important when discussing marriage ages and the relationship between the existing marriage statutes. South Africa’s present framework includes the Marriage Act, the Civil Union Act and the Recognition of Customary Marriages Act. A proposal to change that framework must not be treated as though it had already replaced the requirements in those Acts (Bill record).
A later parliamentary agenda listed legal advice on a clause of the Bill for 30 September 2026 (published agenda). An agenda establishes what was scheduled, not the outcome of that meeting or the passage of legislation. In the sources reviewed, the Bill remains a legislative proposal.
For readers planning a marriage, the useful question is which law and formalities apply to the intended ceremony now. Public participation and reform proposals can explain the direction of discussion, but they do not replace current legal requirements. Future updates should identify an enacted text and its commencement before announcing a new rule.
Going further
This news item is part of a broader topic, which our page South Africa: getting married, divorce and civil partnership covers in detail.
Read the page: South Africa: getting married, divorce and civil partnership