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QARI country baseline · method v1.1

South Africa

Lower context

31/100

South Africa combines meaningful legal protection alongside remaining gaps with generally positive acceptance with uneven lived experience. The digital axis uses Freedom on the Net 2025; local conditions can still vary by city and identity.

Higher numbers mean greater documented traveller exposure. This is a planning signal, not a promise of safety.

Score components

Legal risk

22/100

35% of total · Laws, rights and restrictions

Social reality

41/100

40% of total · Public climate and documented lived conditions

Digital & enforcement

26/100

25% of total · Apps, devices, censorship and enforcement context

Sources and review

medium confidence

Reviewed 2026-08-22

Queer Atlas multi-source model

F&M Unified Rights · legalEqualdex Legal · legalF&M Lived · socialEqualdex Opinion · socialWilliams GAI · socialFreedom House · Freedom on the Net 2025 · digital

Atlas city guides

Local context can change the plan.

QARI remains a country baseline. These guides add local route and community context; they do not overwrite national legal or enforcement conditions.

Cape TownJohannesburg

Questions and limits

What does QARI say about South Africa?

QARI records a lower context country-level baseline of 31 out of 100. Higher numbers mean greater documented exposure, not a personal-safety verdict.

How is this score built?

The published score combines legal risk (35%), social reality (40%), and digital and enforcement risk (25%). A documented risk floor can raise, but never lower, the result.

Can this score describe every city or traveller?

No. National averages can conceal local variation. Use the linked city guides and current local or official advice alongside this baseline.