Parliament of the Republic of South Africa

What Parliament of the Republic of South Africa does

Parliament of the Republic of South Africa is the constitutional legislative authority of the South African state, comprising the National Assembly (400 seats) and the National Council of Provinces (90 seats representing the nine provinces). It exercises exclusive legislative authority under Sections 42 and 77 of the Constitution, passing national legislation, approving the national budget, and conducting oversight of the executive branch through portfolio committees and the Standing Committee on Public Accounts.

The institution operates a digital infrastructure footprint that includes the parliament.gov.za portal (legislative documents, Hansard, ATC reports, Order Papers, Bills and Acts), Parliament TV broadcasting on DSTV Channel 408, Parliament Radio and podcasts distributed via iono.fm, a Committee Meetings System, and an interactive Parliamentary Constituency Offices map. The Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO), established under the Money Bills Amendment Procedure and Related Matters Act No.9 of 2009 and operational from 2013, provides independent fiscal and economic analysis to support Parliament's budget-oversight function. Parliament distributes services through a national network of Parliamentary Constituency Offices enabling citizen engagement at the constituency level.

Parliament is a publicly funded state institution with no commercial revenue model; it is financed through national government appropriation via the Revenue Fund, with the annual budget prepared over a 14-month cycle and approved by the National Assembly. Its primary customer segments are South African citizens (represented through elected MPs), parliamentary committees requiring research and fiscal analysis, provincial legislatures coordinating through the NCOP, and international inter-parliamentary partners including the IPU, CPA, Pan-African Parliament, SADC PF, and the OECD Network of Parliamentary Budget Officials.

Name

Parliament of the Republic of South Africa

Legal name

Parliament of the Republic of South Africa

Website

https://parliament.gov.za

Company type

Public

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

The Parliament of the Republic of South Africa is the bicameral national legislature — National Assembly (400 seats) and National Council of Provinces (90 seats) — that serves South African citizens by passing national legislation, approving the budget, and overseeing the executive through portfolio committees and the Parliamentary Budget Office.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legislative Services

NAICS

Legislative Bodies (921120), Legislative Bodies (92112), Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support (921), Executive and Legislative Offices, Combined (92114), Other General Government Support (921190), Public Finance Activities (921130)

akta.pro primary industry

State Legislature/Regional Assembly Administration (BPAIABAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Executive Office / Cabinet Secretariat (BPAIAAAA)

Keywords

• Legislative services
• Parliamentary broadcasting
• Public participation
• Legislative oversight
• Fiscal analysis

Headquarters

HQ city

Cape Town

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Parliament of the Republic of South Africa is the legislative authority of the South African government, comprising the National Assembly (400 seats) and the National Council of Provinces (90 seats). It passes national legislation, exercises oversight over the executive, approves the national budget, and provides citizen representation. Operational services include Parliament TV broadcasting on DSTV Channel 408, Parliament Radio/Podcasts, a Parliamentary Budget Office delivering independent fiscal analysis, a digital legislative documents portal, committee meeting systems, and a network of Parliamentary Constituency Offices for citizen engagement.

Product overview

The Parliament of the Republic of South Africa operates a digital information and participation portal that provides citizens with access to parliamentary proceedings, legislative documents, and democratic participation mechanisms. The offering consists of Parliament TV (broadcasting on DSTV Channel 408), Parliament Radio/Podcasts, a Digital Legislative Documents Portal (accessing Bills, Acts, Hansard, ATC records), a Committee Meetings System, a Parliamentary Constituency Offices Map, the Parliamentary Budget Office service, and a Publications Portal. The Parliament TV and Radio services enable remote viewing and listening of plenary sessions, while the digital document systems provide access to the legislative pipeline from Bills through to Acts, along with committee meeting schedules and membership information.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Parliamentary Budget Office: An office that provides independent economic and fiscal advice to Members of Parliament and supports the implementation of the Money Bills Act through research and analysis on budgets and money Bills.

Products and services

• Parliament TV A television broadcasting service airing plenary sessions of the National Assembly and National Council of Provinces, available to DSTV subscribers on Channel 408. Targets South African citizens and media for live and recorded coverage of parliamentary proceedings.
• Parliament Radio / Podcasts Audio broadcasting service providing access to parliamentary proceedings and related audio content, hosted via the iono.fm platform. Targets South African citizens seeking audio access to plenary debates and committee proceedings.
• Parliamentary Budget Office Independent fiscal and economic analysis office serving Members of Parliament and parliamentary committees, providing research and analysis on budgets, money Bills, and fiscal policy.
• Digital Legislative Documents Portal Online portal providing access to Bills, Acts, Announcements Tablings and Committee Reports (ATC), Order Papers, Minutes of Proceedings, Question Papers, Hansard records, and Tabled Papers. Serves citizens, media, legal professionals, and researchers seeking legislative documentation.
• Committee Meetings System Online system for viewing and tracking parliamentary committee meeting schedules, compositions, and related documentation. Targets MPs, researchers, media, and citizens monitoring legislative committee activity.
• Parliamentary Constituency Offices (PCOs) Map Interactive map helping citizens find their Member of Parliament and the nearest Parliamentary Constituency Office based on location. Supports public engagement and representation services.
• Library of Parliament Parliamentary information centre providing research services and access to parliamentary documentation for Members of Parliament and authorised users.
• Publications Portal Portal providing access to business publications, educational publications, National Assembly Rules, NCOP Rules, fact sheets, and other parliamentary documentation for public reference.

Quantifiable outcome

• The budget process involves 16 days after introduction for fiscal framework consideration and adoption
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• African Network of Parliamentary Budget Offices (AN-PBO)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Network established during inaugural conference in Cape Town at Parliament in 2016. South African Parliamentary Budget Office hosts and coordinates the network. The network brings together PBOs within Africa to share ideas and strengthen parliamentary fiscal oversight across the continent. Three conferences have been held (2016, 2017, 2018) with the overarching theme of PBO roles in African parliamentary fiscal oversight.
• Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU)coreOthersInternational organization of national parliaments that promotes democracy and cooperation among parliaments globally. South Africa participates in IPU assemblies and forums.
• Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCPA Africa Region Five-Star Hotel Project in Dodoma, Tanzania - a strategic investment to generate sustainable income for African parliaments. South Africa, through NCOP Chairperson Ms Refilwe Mtsweni-Tsipane, participates in this initiative. The project was first approved in 2019 and faces a funding shortfall of approximately US$6.65 million, with member parliaments urged to contribute around US$350,000 each.
• Pan-African ParliamentcoreOthersContinental legislative body of the African Union. South African MPs participate as representatives in this pan-African legislative institution.
• Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF)coreOthersRegional inter-parliamentary body for the SADC region. South Africa participates in SADC PF activities and conferences.
• South African Provincial LegislaturescoreOthersNine provincial legislatures (Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, North-West, Western Cape) that work with Parliament through the NCOP for provincial representation.
• National TreasurycoreOthersProvides economic and fiscal data for PBO analysis. PBO monitors and analyzes Treasury's budget proposals and fiscal framework.
• Statistics South AfricacoreOthersProvides statistical data used by the Parliamentary Budget Office for economic analysis and forecasting in support of parliamentary oversight.
• South African Reserve BankcoreOthersEconomic and monetary data provider for PBO quarterly economic briefs and fiscal analysis supporting Parliament's budget oversight.
• OECD Network of Parliamentary Budget OfficialsminorOthersInternational network connecting PBOs globally to share best practices and methodologies in parliamentary budget analysis.
• Auditor-General of South AfricacoreOthersProvides audit reports used by parliamentary committees (especially SCOPA) for oversight of government expenditure and accountability.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• United Kingdom Parliament: The UK Parliament is a bicameral legislature (House of Commons + House of Lords) with an established independent budget scrutiny function via the Office for Budget Responsibility and House of Commons Library. It is the closest established-model comparable to South Africa's bicameral Parliament with a Parliamentary Budget Office.
• United States Congress: The US Congress is a bicameral national legislature with an independent Congressional Budget Office (CBO) providing nonpartisan fiscal analysis. Its PBO function is the global benchmark against which the South African PBO is structured, making it a strong comparable for both legislative process and budget oversight.
• Parliament of India: India's Parliament is a bicameral national legislature with a sizable secretariat, broadcast operations (e.g., Sansad TV), and digital public engagement infrastructure. Comparable in scale and broadcast/digital ambition to South Africa's Parliament TV and digital portals.
• Australian Parliament: Australia's Parliament has a bicameral structure (House of Representatives + Senate) and a Parliamentary Budget Office established in 2011. Member of the OECD Network of Parliamentary Budget Officials, which the SA PBO also participates in — a relevant comparable for Commonwealth parliamentary design and budget oversight.
• Canadian Parliament: Canada's Parliament includes an independent Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO) established in 2006. Both legislatures share a Westminster-derived constitutional tradition and a small, independent budget analysis office supporting committee oversight — a near-direct institutional analogue.

Direct peers

• National Assembly of Nigeria: Nigeria's National Assembly is a bicameral legislature with a substantial budget office and is a member of the CPA and AN-PBO. Comparable to South Africa as a large African federation with strong bicameral traditions and active engagement in continental parliamentary cooperation.
• National Assembly of Kenya: Kenya's Parliament is a bicameral legislature with a functioning budget office and active participation in the African Network of Parliamentary Budget Offices (AN-PBO). It is one of the most direct peers in terms of African constitutional design, fiscal oversight mandate, and engagement with the same continental PBO network.
• Pan-African Parliament: The Pan-African Parliament is the continental legislative body of the African Union, in which South African MPs participate. While supranational rather than national, it is a direct peer in mission (representative lawmaking, oversight) and a key continental counterpart.
• Parliament of Ghana: Ghana's Parliament is a unicameral legislature with a budget analysis function and active participation in CPA and AN-PBO networks. Functionally comparable to South Africa's Parliament in terms of Commonwealth parliamentary tradition, African continental engagement, and budget oversight work.
• SADC Parliamentary Forum: The SADC Parliamentary Forum is a regional inter-parliamentary body for Southern Africa. South Africa participates directly in its activities; the Forum is a peer in regional parliamentary cooperation and a comparable body for cross-border legislative coordination.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ParliamentofRSA
• YouTubeyoutube.com/ParliamentofRSA
• Facebookfacebook.com/ParliamentofRSA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/parliament-of-rsa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Parliament of the Republic of South Africa