Trending Authorities

The South African judgments courts are relying on right now — most cited authorities, treatment movers, and busiest courts, computed from the Semantis AI citation graph.

2026-09 edition

As computed on 1 October 2026. Counts are distinct citing judgments over resolved citations within the Semantis corpus (~84,600+ judgments), windowed on the citing judgment's date. Recently delivered judgments may still be processing, so the latest weeks can undercount.

Most cited — all time

  1. 1. Plascon-Evans Paints (TVL) Ltd. v Van Riebeck Paints (Pty) Ltd. (53/84) [1984] ZASCA 51; [1984] 2 All SA 366 (A); 1984 (3) SA 623; 1984 (3) SA 620 (21 May 1984) cited by 1930 judgments
  2. 2. Natal Joint Municipal Pension Fund v Endumeni Municipality (920/2010) [2012] ZASCA 13; [2012] 2 All SA 262 (SCA); 2012 (4) SA 593 (SCA) (16 March 2012) cited by 780 judgments
  3. 3. Bato Star Fishing (Pty) Ltd v Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism and Others (CCT 27/03) [2004] ZACC 15; 2004 (4) SA 490 (CC); 2004 (7) BCLR 687 (CC) (12 March 2004) cited by 645 judgments
  4. 4. National Director of Public Prosecutions v Zuma (573/08) [2009] ZASCA 1; 2009 (2) SA 277 (SCA) ; 2009 (1) SACR 361 (SCA) ; 2009 (4) BCLR 393 (SCA) ; [2009] 2 All SA 243 (SCA) (12 January 2009) cited by 643 judgments
  5. 5. Wightman t/a J W Construction v Headfour (Pty) Ltd and Another (66/2007) [2008] ZASCA 6; [2008] 2 All SA 512 (SCA); 2008 (3) SA 371 (SCA) (10 March 2008) cited by 591 judgments
  6. 6. Fakie NO v CCII Systems (Pty) Ltd (653/04) [2006] ZASCA 52; 2006 (4) SA 326 (SCA) (31 March 2006) cited by 579 judgments
  7. 7. Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association of South Africa and Another: In re Ex Parte President of the Republic of South Africa and Others (CCT31/99) [2000] ZACC 1; 2000 (2) SA 674; 2000 (3) BCLR 241 (25 February 2000) cited by 497 judgments
  8. 8. Affordable Medicines Trust and Others v Minister of Health and Another (CCT27/04) [2005] ZACC 3; 2006 (3) SA 247 (CC); 2005 (6) BCLR 529 (CC) (11 March 2005) cited by 420 judgments
  9. 9. MEC for Health, Eastern Cape v Mkhitha and Another (1221/2015) [2016] ZASCA 176 (25 November 2016) cited by 407 judgments
  10. 10. Van Wyk v Unitas Hospital and Another (CCT 12/07) [2007] ZACC 24; 2008 (2) SA 472 (CC); 2008 (4) BCLR 442 (CC) (6 December 2007) cited by 393 judgments

Most cited this period

  1. 1. Ramakatsa and Others v African National Congress and Another (724/2019) [2021] ZASCA 31 (31 March 2021) cited by 10 judgments
  2. 2. Plascon-Evans Paints (TVL) Ltd. v Van Riebeck Paints (Pty) Ltd. (53/84) [1984] ZASCA 51; [1984] 2 All SA 366 (A); 1984 (3) SA 623; 1984 (3) SA 620 (21 May 1984) cited by 7 judgments
  3. 3. Acting National Director of Public Prosecutions and Others v Democratic Alliance In Re: Democratic Alliance v Acting National Director of Public Prosecutions and Others (19577/09) [2016] ZAGPPHC 489 (24 June 2016) cited by 7 judgments
  4. 4. Notshokovu v S (157/15) [2016] ZASCA 112 (7 September 2016) cited by 7 judgments
  5. 5. Sidumo and Another v Rustenburg Platinum Mines Ltd and Others (CCT 85/06) [2007] ZACC 22; [2007] 12 BLLR 1097 (CC); 2008 (2) SA 24 (CC) ; (2007) 28 ILJ 2405 (CC); 2008 (2) BCLR 158 (CC) (5 October 2007) cited by 6 judgments
  6. 6. Van Wyk v Unitas Hospital and Another (CCT 12/07) [2007] ZACC 24; 2008 (2) SA 472 (CC); 2008 (4) BCLR 442 (CC) (6 December 2007) cited by 6 judgments
  7. 7. East Rock Trading 7 (Pty) Ltd and Another v Eagle Valley Granite (Pty) Ltd and Others (11/33767) [2011] ZAGPJHC 196 (23 September 2011) cited by 6 judgments
  8. 8. Smith v S (475/10) [2011] ZASCA 15; 2012 (1) SACR 567 (SCA) (15 March 2011) cited by 5 judgments
  9. 9. MEC for Health, Eastern Cape v Mkhitha and Another (1221/2015) [2016] ZASCA 176 (25 November 2016) cited by 5 judgments
  10. 10. University of Johannesburg v Auckland Park Theological Seminary and Another (CCT 70/20) [2021] ZACC 13; 2021 (8) BCLR 807 (CC) ; 2021 (6) SA 1 (CC) (11 June 2021) cited by 4 judgments

Treatment movers

  1. 1. Ramakatsa and Others v African National Congress and Another (724/2019) [2021] ZASCA 31 (31 March 2021) considered ×4, referred ×4, applied ×2, approved ×1
  2. 2. Plascon-Evans Paints (TVL) Ltd. v Van Riebeck Paints (Pty) Ltd. (53/84) [1984] ZASCA 51; [1984] 2 All SA 366 (A); 1984 (3) SA 623; 1984 (3) SA 620 (21 May 1984) referred ×5, applied ×2
  3. 3. Acting National Director of Public Prosecutions and Others v Democratic Alliance In Re: Democratic Alliance v Acting National Director of Public Prosecutions and Others (19577/09) [2016] ZAGPPHC 489 (24 June 2016) referred ×6, considered ×1
  4. 4. Notshokovu v S (157/15) [2016] ZASCA 112 (7 September 2016) referred ×6, approved ×1
  5. 5. Sidumo and Another v Rustenburg Platinum Mines Ltd and Others (CCT 85/06) [2007] ZACC 22; [2007] 12 BLLR 1097 (CC); 2008 (2) SA 24 (CC) ; (2007) 28 ILJ 2405 (CC); 2008 (2) BCLR 158 (CC) (5 October 2007) referred ×4, applied ×1, considered ×1
  6. 6. East Rock Trading 7 (Pty) Ltd and Another v Eagle Valley Granite (Pty) Ltd and Others (11/33767) [2011] ZAGPJHC 196 (23 September 2011) referred ×6
  7. 7. Van Wyk v Unitas Hospital and Another (CCT 12/07) [2007] ZACC 24; 2008 (2) SA 472 (CC); 2008 (4) BCLR 442 (CC) (6 December 2007) considered ×2, referred ×2, followed ×1
  8. 8. Smith v S (475/10) [2011] ZASCA 15; 2012 (1) SACR 567 (SCA) (15 March 2011) applied ×3, referred ×2
  9. 9. MEC for Health, Eastern Cape v Mkhitha and Another (1221/2015) [2016] ZASCA 176 (25 November 2016) referred ×4, considered ×1
  10. 10. University of Johannesburg v Auckland Park Theological Seminary and Another (CCT 70/20) [2021] ZACC 13; 2021 (8) BCLR 807 (CC) ; 2021 (6) SA 1 (CC) (11 June 2021) referred ×3, considered ×1

Busiest courts

  1. 1. Western Cape High Court 58 judgments
  2. 2. Labour Court (Johannesburg) 32 judgments
  3. 3. Gauteng High Court (Johannesburg) 26 judgments
  4. 4. Gauteng High Court (Pretoria) 18 judgments
  5. 5. Labour Court (Cape Town) 14 judgments
  6. 6. Free State High Court 13 judgments
  7. 7. Mpumalanga High Court (Mbombela) 13 judgments
  8. 8. Mpumalanga High Court (Middelburg) 13 judgments
  9. 9. North West High Court 11 judgments
  10. 10. Companies Tribunal 9 judgments

By practice area

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