Do You Trust SA’s Courts? Here’s What the Stats Say

Pretoria, South Africa – November 2025 – Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) has released its latest findings from the P0340 Governance, Public Safety and Justice Report for 2024/25, revealing encouraging improvements in household access to magistrate courts but highlighting persistent challenges in public engagement and awareness of justice institutions.

Easier access to magistrate courts

According to the report, 84,4% of South African households said they know where the nearest magistrate court is located. Access times have also improved, with 61,4% of households reporting that it takes them less than 30 minutes to reach the nearest court — a major increase from 37,5% in 2018/19.

Despite this improved access, only 9,5% of households said they had been to court in the past 12 months, showing little change since 2018/19 when the figure was 9,4%, and slightly up from 8,9% in 2023/24.

Public satisfaction with courts remains moderate

The report found that 44,8% of households were satisfied with how South African courts deal with perpetrators of crime. When asked what they believed the courts did well, 48,7% said that courts passed appropriate sentences, 22,7% felt that conviction rates were high, and 21,3% believed that courts were not corrupt.

While these figures indicate a generally positive perception of the judiciary, they also reveal that less than half of households are confident in how justice is administered, suggesting that more work is needed to strengthen public trust.

Individual court attendance and representation trends

Among individuals aged 16 and older, 4,5% reported having been to court in the 12 months preceding the survey, down from 5,0% in 2018/19. The main reason for attending court remained to support a family member or friend, although this dropped from 29,2% in 2018/19 to 23,0% in 2024/25.

When it came to legal representation, paralegal services, self-representation, and private lawyers were the most commonly preferred options for those who initiated legal action. Satisfaction with legal services was highest among those represented by private lawyers, with 94,8% satisfaction — up from Legal Aid lawyers’ 89,3% in 2018/19.

Low awareness of the National Prosecuting Authority

The survey highlighted a concerning lack of awareness about the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA). Only 33,9% of individuals aged 16 and older said they knew about the NPA. Of these, nearly half (48,7%) correctly identified its main role as prosecuting accused persons, while 25,8% believed its function was to assist police investigations, and 13,1% said it was to present evidence in court.

Respondents also indicated that the NPA could improve its service by working more closely with the South African Police Service (SAPS).

Correctional Services: mixed perceptions and community acceptance

Only 3,1% of households reported being victims of crimes where the perpetrator was incarcerated during the 2024/25 period. However, 45% of these victims said they were not informed about parole hearings, while 19,1% did not attend them. The main reason for non-attendance (21,7%) was a reluctance to enter prison facilities.

Public satisfaction with correctional services remained moderate, with 35,1% satisfied with how parole was granted and 43,5% satisfied with rehabilitation services. Encouragingly, a large majority — 82,2% — said they would welcome a former prisoner into their place of worship, showing strong community tolerance and reintegration support.

Building trust in justice and safety

Stats SA’s latest findings reveal a mixed picture — while access to justice infrastructure has improved, participation, awareness, and satisfaction levels remain low. The report suggests a need for stronger public education, transparency, and collaboration between justice institutions to build public trust in South Africa’s justice system.