What is the drinking age in South Africa?

18–20

Minimum age to buy alcohol: 18.

South Africa is one of 135 countries classified “18–20” for the drinking age — 70% of the 192 with data.

Source

Taken from: Wikipedia: Legal drinking age
Last checked: 15 September 2026
How it was classified: Read directly from the source’s own table, without interpretation.

Nearby countries

Lesotho: 18–20 Minimum age to buy alcohol: 18.
Botswana: 18–20 Minimum age to buy alcohol: 18.
Eswatini: 18–20 Minimum age to buy alcohol: 18.
Namibia: 18–20 Minimum age to buy alcohol: 18.
Zimbabwe: 18–20 Minimum age to buy alcohol: 18.
Mozambique: 18–20 Minimum age to buy alcohol: 18.

Other laws in South Africa

Cannabis: Legal
Smoking Age: 18
Psilocybin Mushrooms: Illegal
Khat: Illegal
E-Cigarettes: Regulated

Every law in South Africa → · What is the drinking age around the world? →

A visual reference compiled from Wikipedia’s law-by-country articles, not legal advice. Laws change and summaries simplify — check a primary source before relying on anything here.