Draft South Africa National Artificial Intelligence: requirements, deadlines and compliance actions
Draft South Africa National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy
What this label means
- Verified
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- Pending review
- — linked to the official source and in the queue for a reviewer to confirm.
- Source-linked
- — linked to the official source, not yet confirmed by a reviewer.
On this page 8 sections
In brief
Draft South Africa National Artificial Intelligence is a non-binding policy of South Africa, issued by the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (DCDT). Its current status is archived. Scope is as set out in the official text linked below. Every record here links to its official source and states its verification status.
- Jurisdiction
- South Africa
- Instrument type
- Policy
- Status
- Archived
- Legal force
- Non-binding (guidance, strategy or standard)
- Issuing body
- Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (DCDT)
- Adopted
- 10 April 2026
- Official source
- Draft South Africa National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy
- Verification
- Verified against the official source 26 Sep 2026
What is Draft South Africa National Artificial Intelligence?
Approved by Cabinet in March/April 2026 and gazetted for a 60-day comment period, the draft policy proposed guiding principles, institutional arrangements and implementation pathways for AI across the public and private sectors, building on the department's 2024 National AI Policy Framework. The Minister announced its withdrawal on 26 April 2026 after fictitious citations were found in its reference list, and the withdrawal was formally gazetted in June 2026.
Status note: The earlier South Africa National AI Policy Framework (Aug/Oct 2024, comments to 29 Nov 2024) is referenced in the gazette notice, but its DCDT page (dcdt.gov.za/sa-national-ai-policy-framework/...) now serves unrelated content, so it is not recorded as a separate entry. Withdrawal notice is signed 4 June 2026 and gazetted 12 June 2026.
Who does it apply to?
Scope is as set out in the official text linked below. Issued by Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (DCDT). Oversight: DCDT; Cabinet-approved draft published for public comment. Stated purpose: Set national principles, institutions and pathways for safe and inclusive AI adoption.
When do the requirements apply?
2026-04-26: Minister Malatsi announces withdrawal of the draft policy; 2026-06-12: Withdrawal gazetted (Notice 3978 of 2026, Gazette No. 54840)
Only the announcement or adoption date is recorded from the source; in-force and application dates are to be confirmed by a reviewer.
Official sources
-
Draft South Africa National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy
Government Gazette No. 54477, Notice 3880 of 2026 (DCDT) · 10 Apr 2026 · Tier 1 source
-
Minister Malatsi announces withdrawal of the draft policy
Government Gazette No. 54477, Notice 3880 of 2026 (DCDT) · 26 Apr 2026 · Tier 1 source
-
Withdrawal gazetted (Notice 3978 of 2026, Gazette No. 54840)
Government Gazette No. 54477, Notice 3880 of 2026 (DCDT) · 12 Jun 2026 · Tier 1 source
Cite this record
AIPolicyTracker (2026). “Draft South Africa National Artificial Intelligence” [AIPT-POL-0174, record version 1, verified 26 September 2026 by Bhaskar Bhatt]. https://aipolicytracker.org/id/AIPT-POL-0174 (accessed 27 October 2026). Data licensed CC BY 4.0.
Permanent id AIPT-POL-0174: it never changes or gets reused, and its address keeps working if this page moves.
Cite the official text alongside it: Draft South Africa National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy, Government Gazette No. 54477, Notice 3880 of 2026 (DCDT), https://www.gov.za/sites/default/files/gcis_document/202604/54477gen3880.pdf.
BibTeX
@misc{aipolicytracker2026_draftsouthafricanational,
author = {{AIPolicyTracker}},
title = {{Draft South Africa National Artificial Intelligence}},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {\url{https://aipolicytracker.org/policies/south-africa-draft-south-africa-national-artificial-intelligence}},
url = {https://aipolicytracker.org/policies/south-africa-draft-south-africa-national-artificial-intelligence},
urldate = {2026-10-27},
note = {Data licensed CC BY 4.0. Accessed 27 October 2026}
}
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Markdown
[](https://aipolicytracker.org/id/AIPT-POL-0174)HTML
<a href="https://aipolicytracker.org/id/AIPT-POL-0174"><img src="https://aipolicytracker.org/badges/south-africa-draft-south-africa-national-artificial-intelligence.svg" alt="AIPolicyTracker: Draft South Africa National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy, Archived · verified 26 Sep 2026" height="20"></a>Change history
- — Withdrawal gazetted (Notice 3978 of 2026, Gazette No. 54840)
- — Minister Malatsi announces withdrawal of the draft policy
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Record history
No change to this record's tracked fields has been recorded since 15 October 2026, when field-level history began.
Record version 1: Imported from the source-backed legacy dataset (database/data/ai_policies.json); fields limited to what the official source page states. Reviewer to enrich scope, dates and obligations. Every earlier wording is in the GitHub repository.
Frequently asked questions
Is Draft South Africa National Artificial Intelligence in force?
No. Draft South Africa National Artificial Intelligence is archived.
Is Draft South Africa National Artificial Intelligence legally binding?
No. Draft South Africa National Artificial Intelligence is a policy; it sets expectations rather than legal requirements, unless another instrument gives it force.
Who does Draft South Africa National Artificial Intelligence apply to?
Scope is as set out in the official text linked below. Issued by Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (DCDT). Oversight: DCDT; Cabinet-approved draft published for public comment. Stated purpose: Set national principles, institutions and pathways for safe and inclusive AI adoption.
When does Draft South Africa National Artificial Intelligence apply?
2026-04-26: Minister Malatsi announces withdrawal of the draft policy; 2026-06-12: Withdrawal gazetted (Notice 3978 of 2026, Gazette No. 54840)
Where is the official text of Draft South Africa National Artificial Intelligence?
The official text is published by Government Gazette No. 54477, Notice 3880 of 2026 (DCDT) at https://www.gov.za/sites/default/files/gcis_document/202604/54477gen3880.pdf (Draft South Africa National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy). This record links to it and is checked against it.
Disclaimer: informational only, not legal advice. Verify every claim against the linked official sources and consult a qualified lawyer before acting.