South Africa Civil Registration

Indexes and Images
Civil registration (marriages), Transvaal, 1861-1899 - index and images of marriage records for Transvaal South Africa, Cape Province, Civil Deaths, 1895-1972 - images and partial index of death records for Cape Province
 * 1861-1899:
 * 1895-1972:
 * 1869-1954: South Africa, Transvaal, Civil Death, 1869-1954 - index and images of deaths for Transvaal. Further explanations for using these records
 * 1870-1930: South Africa, Transvaal, Civil Marriages, 1870-1930 - index and images of marriages for Transvaal
 * 1955-1966, index.

Indexes

 * 1840-1973 - index.

Images of Marriage Records

 * 1861-1903: Civil registration (marriages), Transvaal, 1861-1903 - images of marriage records for Transvaal
 * 1956-1960: Civil registration (marriages - blacks), South Africa & Southwest Africa (various locales), 1956-1960 - images of marriage records for South Africa
 * 1902-1923: Civil registration (marriages - coloureds), South Africa (various locales), 1902-1923 - images of marriage records for South Africa
 * 1925-1960: Civil registration (marriages - Indians and Chinese), South Africa, 1925-1960 - images of marriage records for South Africa
 * 1956-1973: Civil registration (marriages - whites, blacks and coloureds), South Africa (various locales), 1956-1973 - images of marriage records for South Africa
 * 1956-1960: Civil registration (marriages - whites, coloureds and Indians), South Africa and South West Africa, 1956-1960 - images of marriage records for South Africa and South West Africa
 * 1696-1899: Civil registration (marriages), Cape Province, 1696-1899 - images of marriage records for Cape Province

Images of Death Records

 * 1869-1939: Civil registration (death notices), South Africa, South West Africa, Rhodesia, Swaziland, etc., 1869-1939 - indexes and images of death notices for South West Africa
 * 1895-1984: Civil registration (deaths - whites, blacks, and coloureds), South Africa (various locales), 1895-1984 - images of death records for South Africa
 * 1955-1966: Civil registration (deaths), South Africa and South West Africa, 1955-1966 - images of death records for South Africa
 * 1901-1903: Burgher refugee camp death notices (South Africa), 1901-03 - images of mostly death notices (some births) from Burgher (i.e., Boer) 'refugee'/concentration camps at Vereeniging, Klerksdorp, and Irene, 1901-03

Offices to Contact
Department of Home Affairs
 * The Registrar, Births, Marriages and Deaths Department of Home Affairs Sentrakor Building, 173 Pretorius Street Pretoria 0001, South Africa Postal Address: Private Bag X114 Pretoria 0001 Tel.: 012-3148109 E-mail hacc@dha.gov.za

Historical Background
The following table lists the approximate commencement dates for registering births, marriages, and deaths:

Until 1994, South Africa was divided into four provinces: the Cape Province, Natal, the Transvaal and the Orange Free State.
 * The National Archives Repository has the records of the central government as well as the public records of the former Transvaal Province and its predecessor states
 * The Free State Archives Repository in Bloemfontein has the public records of the former Orange Free State and the Orange River Colony
 * The Cape Town Archives Repository holds public records of the former Cape Province and earlier colonial administrations
 * The Pietermaritzburg Archives Repository and the Durban Archives Repository have custody of the records of the former Natal Province and its predecessor states
 * In addition to the repositories each of the former provinces had what was then known as intermediate depots, or records centres, as they are alled today. The National Archives and Records Service of South Africa

Births
The legal informants for a birth are parents, guardian, or any other person legally responsible for the child. Requirements for birth registration:
 * Identification of the child’s father
 * Identification of the child’s mother
 * Forenames and surname of the childUnicef South Africa

Marriages
Legal age for marriage is 18 years for both sexes. Exemptions: Girls under 18 years but older than 15 years need parental consent to marry; girls under age 15 need the consent of the Minister of Home Affairs. Unicef South Africa

Deaths
No specific requirement concerning who should register a death, can be a traditional leader in rural areas.

Requirements for death registration:
 * Medical death certificate
 * Identification card
 * Date of death
 * Age at death
 * Birth certificate for a minor Unicef South Africa

Birth Records
Department of Home Affairs (DHA) is in charge of registering births. Contents: Unicef South Africa About the child: About the mother: About the father:
 * Name
 * Date of birth
 * Date of registration
 * Place of occurrence
 * Type of place of occurrence (hospital, home, etc.)
 * Sex
 * Date of birth or age
 * Marital status
 * Ethnicity
 * Educational attainment
 * Place/country of birth
 * Children born alive to the mother during her entire lifetime
 * Birth order parity
 * Date of last previous live birth
 * Date of marriage
 * Date of birth or age
 * Marital status
 * Ethnicity
 * Educational attainment
 * Place/country of birth
 * Acknowledgment of paternity in regard to a child born out of wedlock

Marriage Records
Marriage records are also very valuable in South African genealogical research. Marriage records provide the following information:
 * Date when the marriage occurred
 * Full names, marital status (single or widowed) and places of birth for both the bride and groom
 * Full names, and places of birth for the parents of the bride and groom

Matrimonial court records
Helpful for pedigree linkage because of additional information given on the registers. Also includes information on marriages not recorded in the parish register, especially when the parish register is missing. They may also give an indication of the actual marriage place which otherwise could not be found without extensive searching.

Marriage records of banns
Time period: 1794 to 1906. Contents: Location: Cape archives and magistrate’s offices where local matrimonial courts were held. Percentage in Family History Library: 100%. Population coverage: 75% of White population.
 * Permission to have banns called
 * Register of permissions granted
 * Names
 * Ages
 * Residence
 * Written consent of parents
 * Birthplace
 * Religion
 * Marital status
 * Occupation of bridegroom

Death Records
Contents: Regarding the deceased: Older records may be in Dutch and may include: Reliability: Very good.The Family History Department of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, “Family History Record Profile: Southern Africa,” Word document, private files of the FamilySearch Content Strategy Team, 1987-1998.
 * Name
 * Sex
 * Date of birth or age
 * Marital status
 * Place of usual residence
 * Date of death
 * Date of registration
 * Place of occurrence
 * Place of registration
 * Cause of death
 * Certifier
 * Type of place of occurrence (hospital, home, etc.) Unicef South Africa
 * Name
 * Birth place
 * Names of parents
 * Age
 * Profession
 * Marriage status
 * Date of death
 * Place of death
 * Whether there is a will
 * Whether left moveable or inmoveable property
 * Is the estate above L25
 * Name of children