- ImpactWe help parliaments to become greener and to implement the Paris agreement.We support democracy by strengthening parliamentsWe work to increase women’s representation in parliament and empower women MPs.We defend the human rights of parliamentarians and help them uphold the rights of all.We help parliaments fight terrorism, cyber warfare and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.We encourage youth participation in parliaments and empower young MPs.We support parliaments in implementing the SDGs with a particular focus on health and climate change.
- Parliaments
Nearly every country in the world has some form of parliament. Parliamentary systems fall into two categories: bicameral and unicameral. Out of 190 national parliaments in the world, 78 are bicameral (156 chambers) and 112 are unicameral, making a total of 268 chambers of parliament with some 44,000 members of parliament. IPU membership is made up of 179 national parliamentsFind a national parliament
The Swiss National Council © The Swiss Parliament
We help strengthen parliaments to make them more representative and effective.. - Knowledge
Discover the IPU's resources
Our library of essential resources for parliamentsGlobal data for and about national parliamentsLatest data and reports about women in parliamentResolutions, declarations and outcomes adopted by IPU MembersRecent innovations in the way parliaments workThe latest climate change legislation from the London School of Economics' database
South Africa
South Africa
Data points :
Parliament, National Assembly
The IPU data corresponds to the lower chamber if the parliament is bicameral. For information about upper chambers, refer to Parline
0
cases currently treated by the Committee on the Human Rights of MPs
- Number of MPs 400 MPs
- Legislature bicameral
- Last election May 2019
- IPU Membership
- Common principles signatory
- Website www.parliament.gov.za
- More data from Parline
This page contains the latest IPU news and data for this parliament. The percentage of women in parliament and the percentage of youth participation correspond to the lower chamber if the parliament is bicameral. The number of MP human rights cases corresponds to the latest decisions of the IPU Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians.
Innovation stories
On 25 January 2023, the IPU’s Centre for Innovation in Parliament held a webinar as part of the launch of the World e-Parliament Report 2022. The event looked at how the period of “enforced innovation” brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic had affected parliamentary working methods and practices.
With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the South African parliament was quick to adopt digital innovations to ensure continuity of parliamentary functions. Parliamentary meetings were held entirely virtually or in a hybrid format.
The European Centre for Parliamentary Research and Documentation (ECPRD) held its ICT2019 Seminar at the Riigikogu of Estonia in Tallinn on October 3 and 4, 2019. The seminar is the annual gathering of senior ICT officials from parliaments across Europe and further afield, who come together to share knowledge and experiences. The 2019 seminar focused on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in
Related news
News in brief
17/01/2022
Following the publication of the IPU’s regional study on Sexism, harassment and violence against women in parliaments in Africa, many African parliaments accepted the IPU’s call to amplify the findings of the study and talk about sexism with the following
Press releases
18/11/2019
Hosted by the Pan-African Parliament (PAP), and organized by the IPU in cooperation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the African Regional Parliamentary Conference on Comprehensive Responses to Refugee Situations – Effective Parliamentary Approaches, took place from
Case studies
Case studies
07/08/2023
To shape a more sustainable, equitable future, young people will need democratic skills. Here’s how the Austrians are leading the change.
Case studies
01/06/2022
The work of the Parliament of South Africa highlights good practices in institutionalizing and embedding public engagement, based on specific requirements in the country’s Constitution. Parliament has made efforts to ensure that its engagement practices: align practical actions with cultural
Related events
Conference on "Ensuring Everyone’s Right to Nationality: The Role of Parliaments in Preventing and Ending Statelessness", organized with UNHCR
Cape Town,
South Africa
118th IPU Assembly and Related Meetings
Cape Town,
South Africa
In the region
