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.

2026-08 edition

As computed on 1 September 2026. Counts are distinct citing judgments over resolved citations within the Semantis corpus (~83,500+ 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 1736 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 754 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 600 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 591 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 543 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 529 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 468 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 385 judgments
  9. 9. MEC for Health, Eastern Cape v Mkhitha and Another (1221/2015) [2016] ZASCA 176 (25 November 2016) cited by 371 judgments
  10. 10. Biowatch Trust v Registrar Genetic Resources and Others (CCT 80/08) [2009] ZACC 14; 2009 (6) SA 232 (CC) ; 2009 (10) BCLR 1014 (CC) (3 June 2009) cited by 360 judgments

Most cited this period

  1. 1. MEC for Health, Eastern Cape v Mkhitha and Another (1221/2015) [2016] ZASCA 176 (25 November 2016) cited by 16 judgments
  2. 2. Ramakatsa and Others v African National Congress and Another (724/2019) [2021] ZASCA 31 (31 March 2021) cited by 11 judgments
  3. 3. 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 10 judgments
  4. 4. 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 7 judgments
  5. 5. Notshokovu v S (157/15) [2016] ZASCA 112 (7 September 2016) cited by 7 judgments
  6. 6. Trencon Construction (Pty) Limited v Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa Limited and Another (CCT198/14) [2015] ZACC 22; 2015 (5) SA 245 (CC); 2015 (10) BCLR 1199 (CC) (26 June 2015) cited by 5 judgments
  7. 7. Zuma v Secretary of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture, Corruption and Fraud in the Public Sector Including Organs of State and Others (CCT 52/21) [2021] ZACC 28; 2021 (11) BCLR 1263 (CC) (17 September 2021) cited by 5 judgments
  8. 8. Gcaba v Minister for Safety and Security and Others (CCT64/08) [2009] ZACC 26; 2010 (1) SA 238 (CC); 2010 (1) BCLR 35 (CC) ; (2010) 31 ILJ 296 (CC) ; [2009] 12 BLLR 1145 (CC) (7 October 2009) cited by 5 judgments
  9. 9. Grootboom v National Prosecuting Authority and Another (CCT 08/13) [2013] ZACC 37; 2014 (2) SA 68 (CC); 2014 (1) BCLR 65 (CC); [2014] 1 BLLR 1 (CC); (2014) 35 ILJ 121 (CC) (21 October 2013) cited by 5 judgments
  10. 10. Commissioner for South African Revenue Service v Hawker Air Services (Pty) Ltd; Commissioner for South African Revenue Service v Hawker Aviation Services Partnership and Others (379/05) [2006] ZASCA 51; 2006 (4) SA 292 (SCA) ; [2006] 2 All SA 565 (SCA) (31 March 2006) cited by 5 judgments

Treatment movers

  1. 1. MEC for Health, Eastern Cape v Mkhitha and Another (1221/2015) [2016] ZASCA 176 (25 November 2016) referred ×10, considered ×3, applied ×1, approved ×1
  2. 2. Ramakatsa and Others v African National Congress and Another (724/2019) [2021] ZASCA 31 (31 March 2021) referred ×6, considered ×4, approved ×1
  3. 3. 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 ×9, considered ×1
  4. 4. Notshokovu v S (157/15) [2016] ZASCA 112 (7 September 2016) referred ×5, approved ×2
  5. 5. Gcaba v Minister for Safety and Security and Others (CCT64/08) [2009] ZACC 26; 2010 (1) SA 238 (CC); 2010 (1) BCLR 35 (CC) ; (2010) 31 ILJ 296 (CC) ; [2009] 12 BLLR 1145 (CC) (7 October 2009) referred ×3, applied ×1, considered ×1
  6. 6. Grootboom v National Prosecuting Authority and Another (CCT 08/13) [2013] ZACC 37; 2014 (2) SA 68 (CC); 2014 (1) BCLR 65 (CC); [2014] 1 BLLR 1 (CC); (2014) 35 ILJ 121 (CC) (21 October 2013) referred ×4, applied ×1
  7. 7. 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) referred ×3, applied ×1, distinguished ×1
  8. 8. Commissioner for South African Revenue Service v Hawker Air Services (Pty) Ltd; Commissioner for South African Revenue Service v Hawker Aviation Services Partnership and Others (379/05) [2006] ZASCA 51; 2006 (4) SA 292 (SCA) ; [2006] 2 All SA 565 (SCA) (31 March 2006) referred ×5
  9. 9. Fischer and Another v Ramahlele and Others (203/2014) [2014] ZASCA 88; 2014 (4) SA 614 (SCA); [2014] 3 All SA 395 (SCA) (4 June 2014) referred ×2, applied ×1, approved ×1, followed ×1
  10. 10. Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality v Asla Construction (Pty) Limited (CCT91/17) [2019] ZACC 15; 2019 (6) BCLR 661 (CC); 2019 (4) SA 331 (CC) (16 April 2019) referred ×4

Busiest courts

  1. 1. Gauteng High Court (Johannesburg) 67 judgments
  2. 2. Western Cape High Court 67 judgments
  3. 3. Gauteng High Court (Pretoria) 43 judgments
  4. 4. Labour Court (Johannesburg) 39 judgments
  5. 5. Mpumalanga High Court (Mbombela) 27 judgments
  6. 6. Labour Court (Cape Town) 22 judgments
  7. 7. North West High Court 20 judgments
  8. 8. ZAFST 18 judgments
  9. 9. Companies Tribunal 16 judgments
  10. 10. Free State High Court 11 judgments

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