Supreme Court of South Africa - Divisions

Divisions

The South Africa Act created the Appellate Division, and renamed the existing courts of the colonies as follows:

• The Supreme Court of the Cape of Good Hope (Cape Town) became the Cape of Good Hope Provincial Division
  • The Court of the Eastern Districts of the Cape of Good Hope (Grahamstown) became the Eastern Districts Local Division
  • The High Court of Griqualand (Kimberley) became the Griqualand West Local Division
• The Supreme Court of the Transvaal (Pretoria) became the Transvaal Provincial Division
  • The High Court of Witwatersrand (Johannesburg) became the Witwatersrand Local Division
• The High Court of the Orange River Colony (Bloemfontein) became the Orange Free State Provincial Division
• The Supreme Court of Natal (Pietermaritzburg) became the Natal Provincial Division
  • The Durban & Coast Circuit Court (Durban) became the Durban & Coast Local Division

Subsequent changes to the divisions were as follows:

• In 1957 the Eastern Districts Local Division was separated from the Cape Provincial Division and became the Eastern Cape Provincial Division.
• In 1969 the Griqualand West Local Division was separated from the Cape Provincial Division and became the Northern Cape Provincial Division.
• In 1973 a Transkeian High Court was created at Umtata, becoming the Supreme Court of the Transkei when that homeland attained nominal independence in 1976.
• In 1974 the South Eastern Cape Local Division was created at Port Elizabeth, having jurisdiction (concurrently with the Eastern Cape Provincial Division) over that city and the surrounding districts.
• In 1977 the Supreme Court of Bophuthatswana was created when the homeland attained nominal independence. Supreme Courts of Venda and Ciskei were similarly created in 1979 and 1981 respectively.