South AfricaZA

Article 29 of the Constitution of South Africa

Article
29
Chapter
CHAPTER 2 — BILL OF RIGHTS
Index row title
(1) Everyone has the right—
Source document
The South Africa Constitution
Provision ID
fcde8521-e45c-4cb2-a314-f052204c19b0

167 words

Verbatim text

(a) to a basic education, including adult basic education; and (b) to further education, which the state, through reasonable measures, must make progressively available and accessible. (2) Everyone has the right to receive education in the official language or languages of their choice in public educational institutions where that education is reasonably practicable. In order to ensure the effective access to, and implementation of, this right, the state must consider all reasonable educational alternatives, including single medium institutions, taking into account— (a) equity; (b) practicability; and (c) the need to redress the results of past racially discriminatory laws and practices. (3) Everyone has the right to establish and maintain, at their own expense, independent educational institutions that— (a) do not discriminate on the basis of race; (b) are registered with the state; and (c) maintain standards that are not inferior to standards at comparable public educational institutions. Chapter 2: Bill of Rights (4) Subsection (3) does not preclude state subsidies for independent educational institutions. Language and culture

What this means

  • The index files this text under article 29 of the Constitution of South Africa.
  • The index files it under the chapter heading “CHAPTER 2 — BILL OF RIGHTS”.
  • The passage runs to about 167 words.
  • Read plainly, it mentions equality and non-discrimination — it requires equal treatment or forbids discrimination (the words used: “discriminatory”); it mentions education — it concerns education, schooling or training (the words used: “education”).

The row’s stored title is a body fragment, not a heading (“(1) Everyone has the right—”), so it is not used as the provision’s title here.

The index gives this passage an article number but stores a body fragment where a heading would be, so the number could not be cross-checked against the text. Check it against the official Constitution before relying on it in a citation.

This is a mechanical reading aid generated from the text above by matching words in it. It is not legal advice, not a lawyer’s interpretation, and not a substitute for the provision itself.

How to cite this

Constitution of South Africa, article 29, Portable Lawyer, https://www.portablelawyer.app/provision/fcde8521-e45c-4cb2-a314-f052204c19b0 (accessed 25 October 2026).

Canonical URL: https://www.portablelawyer.app/provision/fcde8521-e45c-4cb2-a314-f052204c19b0

Accessed 25 October 2026.

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