# Draft South Africa National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy

- **Record type**: Policy instrument
- **Jurisdiction**: South Africa
- **Instrument type**: Policy
- **Status**: Archived
- **Binding**: No — guidance, strategy or standard
- **Issuing body**: Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (DCDT)
- **Adopted**: 2026-04-10

## 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.

## Summary

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.

## Scope

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.

## Key dates

2026-04-26: Minister Malatsi announces withdrawal of the draft policy; 2026-06-12: Withdrawal gazetted (Notice 3978 of 2026, Gazette No. 54840)

## Notes on dates

Only the announcement or adoption date is recorded from the source; in-force and application dates are to be confirmed by a reviewer.

## Provenance

- **Permanent id**: AIPT-POL-0174 (https://aipolicytracker.org/id/AIPT-POL-0174; never changes or gets reused)
- **Record page**: https://aipolicytracker.org/policies/south-africa-draft-south-africa-national-artificial-intelligence
- **Official source**: https://www.gov.za/sites/default/files/gcis_document/202604/54477gen3880.pdf
- **Source document**: Draft South Africa National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy
- **Published by**: Government Gazette No. 54477, Notice 3880 of 2026 (DCDT)
- **Review status**: verified
- **Confidence**: high
- **Facts last confirmed**: 2026-09-26
- **Confirmed by**: Bhaskar Bhatt (see https://aipolicytracker.org/reviewers)
- **Retrieved**: 2026-10-27
- **Licence**: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
- **Cite as**: AIPolicyTracker (2026). "Draft South Africa National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy" [AIPT-POL-0174, record version 1, verified 26 September 2026 by Bhaskar Bhatt]. https://aipolicytracker.org/id/AIPT-POL-0174 (accessed 27 October 2026).

> This record is a structured summary with a link to the official text. It is not legal advice. Open the official source before relying on any date or duty. How current each record type must be is published at https://aipolicytracker.org/verification; what a record must carry at all is published at https://aipolicytracker.org/coverage.