(1) Raise awareness of women's human rights among traditional and community leaders and the general public, with the active participation of women's organizations and women human rights defenders, and on the specific risk of gender-based violence for women and girls facing intersecting forms of discrimination, such as lesbian, bisexual and transgender women; migrant, refugee and asylum-seeking women; women living with disabilities; and women and girls with albinism; (2) Ensure systematic training for judges, prosecutors, police officers and other law enforcement officers on the strict application of criminal law provisions on gender-based violence against women and gender-sensitive investigation and interrogation procedures, and create an enabling environment for women and girls to report gender-based violence by addressing the stigmatization of victims, discriminatory stereotypes and judicial gender bias; (3) Strengthen victim support services, including adequately funded shelters and safe houses, throughout the State party, in particular in rural and remote areas; (4) Expeditiously establish the National Council on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide, provide the Council with adequate human, technical and financial resources and a strong mandate and ensure its independence; (5) Ensure adequate human, technical and financial resources for the implementation of the National Strategic Plan on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide for the period 2020–2030, and establish effective mechanisms for coordination and results-based monitoring and evaluation; (6) Implement the recommendations of the Committee in the report on its inquiry concerning South Africa conducted under article 8 of the Optional Protocol to the Convention (CEDAW/C/ZAF/IR/1), within a clear time frame, in accordance with the Committee's general recommendation No. 35 (2017); (7) Adopt legislation to specifically criminalize domestic violence and femicide and ensure that both crimes are subject to public prosecution; (8) Expeditiously adopt the domestic violence amendment bill; the criminal and related matters bill and the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act amendment bill; (8) Ensure that all cases of domestic violence and femicide are investigated and prosecuted, that perpetrators are adequately punished and can be brought to justice ex officio, and that victims have effective access to remedies, including issuance of protection orders, and full reparation; (9) Systematically provide statistical data on the scope and extent of domestic and other forms of gender-based violence against women, disaggregated by age, ethnicity, disability, socioeconomic status and the relationship between the victim and the perpetrator.

(1) Urgently implement the Prevention and Combating of Trafficking in Persons Act (Act No. 7 of 2013) and collect data on trafficking, disaggregated by sex, age, nationality, ethnicity, disability and socioeconomic status to address the impact of the Act; (2) Provide capacity-building for the judiciary, law enforcement officials, immigration and law enforcement officers, border guards and social workers on the application of the Prevention and Combating of Trafficking in Persons Act and gender-sensitive procedures for the early identification and referral of victims to appropriate services; (3) Ensure that women victims of trafficking are provided with adequate protection, such as witness protection programmes and temporary residence permits, irrespective of their ability or willingness to cooperate with the prosecution authorities; (4) Ensure that traffickers and their accomplices are prosecuted and adequately punished; (5) Investigate complaints and ensure that foreign women health professionals' rights are protected.

(1) Amend the Children's Act to prohibit so-called virginity testing for all women and girls and ensure the enforcement of the Act, including in rural areas; (2) Criminalize the harmful practice of ukuthwala and ensure that all cases of ukuthwala and female genital mutilation are investigated, that perpetrators are prosecuted and adequately punished, and that women and girls in such unions have access to protection, including adequate shelters, and victim support services; (3) Expeditiously adopt a comprehensive strategy to eliminate discriminatory stereotypes and all harmful practices, such as so-called virginity testing, ukuthwala, female genital mutilation, and child and forced marriages, and ensure that victims have access to adequate support services and rehabilitation programmes; (4) Raise awareness among traditional and religious leaders, parents, teachers, women and the public about the criminal nature and devastating impact of harmful practices on the lives of women and girls and provide systematic training to judges, prosecutors, police officers and other law enforcement officers on the strict application of criminal law provisions prohibiting harmful practices.

The Committee recommends that the State Party expeditiously adopt a single marriage bill to align customary laws and practices in the field of marriage, in conformity with the Convention, including in relation to succession and inheritance and the custody of children, and to ensure that its provisions are enforceable under the jurisdiction of civil courts. It recommends that the State party adopt legislation to recognize Muslim and Hindu marriages. The Committee also recommends that the State party amend, without delay, the Recognition of Customary Marriages Act to raise the minimum age of marriage to 18 years for both girls and boys without exception, and that it enforce the prohibition of child or forced marriage, particularly in rural areas and within traditional communities.