Navigating SA courts — which forum hears your matter?

Choosing the wrong forum wastes months. This guide maps where common disputes belong.

Civil courts

• Small Claims Court — claims up to R20,000 (no attorney required by rule).
• Magistrate's Court — debt, eviction (PIE Act), domestic violence protection orders.
• High Court — divorce, interdicts, labour appeals, claims above magistrate jurisdiction.
• Labour Court — automatically unfair dismissal, certain strikes, review of CCMA awards.

Specialist forums

• CCMA — unfair dismissal, unfair labour practice (refer within 30 days of dismissal).
• Maintenance Court — enquiry into maintenance obligation (Maintenance Act).
• Children's Court — care and contact disputes outside divorce.
• Equality Court — hate speech and unfair discrimination (Promotion of Equality Act).

Practical tips

• Confirm the division's Practice Directive — Gauteng and Western Cape differ on motion dates.
• CaseLines is mandatory in many High Court divisions — scan annexures as searchable PDFs.
• Keep a paper trail: registered post, sheriff returns, and email read-receipts.