Trending Authorities — 2026-05

The South African judgments courts relied on in 2026-05, computed from the Semantis AI citation graph.

As computed on 20 July 2026. Counts are distinct citing judgments over resolved citations within the Semantis corpus (~57,000+ 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 1655 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 708 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 564 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 563 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 509 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 488 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 451 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 357 judgments
  9. 9. 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 348 judgments
  10. 10. S v Makwanyane and Another (CCT3/94) [1995] ZACC 3; 1995 (6) BCLR 665; 1995 (3) SA 391; [1996] 2 CHRLD 164; 1995 (2) SACR 1 (6 June 1995) cited by 337 judgments

Most cited this period

  1. 1. 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 12 judgments
  2. 2. MEC for Health, Eastern Cape v Mkhitha and Another (1221/2015) [2016] ZASCA 176 (25 November 2016) cited by 9 judgments
  3. 3. 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 8 judgments
  4. 4. 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 7 judgments
  5. 5. Department of Transport and Others v Tasima (Pty) Limited (CCT5/16) [2016] ZACC 39; 2017 (1) BCLR 1 (CC); 2017 (2) SA 622 (CC) (9 November 2016) cited by 6 judgments
  6. 6. Ramakatsa and Others v African National Congress and Another (724/2019) [2021] ZASCA 31 (31 March 2021) cited by 6 judgments
  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) cited by 6 judgments
  8. 8. 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 6 judgments
  9. 9. 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
  10. 10. Smith v S (475/10) [2011] ZASCA 15; 2012 (1) SACR 567 (SCA) (15 March 2011) cited by 5 judgments

Treatment movers

  1. 1. 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 ×8, considered ×3, followed ×1
  2. 2. MEC for Health, Eastern Cape v Mkhitha and Another (1221/2015) [2016] ZASCA 176 (25 November 2016) referred ×8, considered ×1
  3. 3. 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) referred ×4, considered ×3
  4. 4. 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) considered ×3, referred ×3, applied ×1
  5. 5. Ramakatsa and Others v African National Congress and Another (724/2019) [2021] ZASCA 31 (31 March 2021) applied ×3, referred ×2, approved ×1, considered ×1
  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) referred ×5, considered ×1
  7. 7. 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) referred ×4, applied ×1, followed ×1
  8. 8. Department of Transport and Others v Tasima (Pty) Limited (CCT5/16) [2016] ZACC 39; 2017 (1) BCLR 1 (CC); 2017 (2) SA 622 (CC) (9 November 2016) referred ×4, considered ×1
  9. 9. Smith v S (475/10) [2011] ZASCA 15; 2012 (1) SACR 567 (SCA) (15 March 2011) applied ×3, referred ×2
  10. 10. 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 ×5

Busiest courts

  1. 1. Gauteng High Court (Pretoria) 152 judgments
  2. 2. Gauteng High Court (Johannesburg) 120 judgments
  3. 3. Western Cape High Court 72 judgments
  4. 4. Labour Court (Johannesburg) 35 judgments
  5. 5. Free State High Court 31 judgments
  6. 6. North West High Court 23 judgments
  7. 7. Companies Tribunal 20 judgments
  8. 8. KwaZulu-Natal High Court (Pietermaritzburg) 19 judgments
  9. 9. Supreme Court of Appeal 18 judgments
  10. 10. Labour Court (Cape Town) 14 judgments

By practice area