South Africa
South Africa has no freedom of panorama, so selling images centered on copyrighted public works can need permission; national parks ban drones outright.
Guidance, not legal advice
Permit
Conditional
Issuer: City film offices and SANParks for commercial shoots; no permit for personal street photography
Cost: No permit for personal photography; commercial shoots usually require location or film permits
Personal photography in public needs no permit. Commercial shoots usually require location or film permits, and government, military, and key-point installations are restricted.
Drone / airspace
Regulated by SACAA; flying over people or property without consent is restricted, and drones are banned in all national parks
Kruger and other SANParks parks have issued life bans for drone use. For depth, see Drone Authority.
Street / public space
Yes to photograph, but publishing identifiable images, especially commercially, engages privacy and the POPIA data-protection law
Editorial use has more room; commercial use should have a release.
Freedom of panorama
Restricted (no FoP)
South African copyright law grants no freedom of panorama, so reproducing and selling images of copyrighted public artworks or recent buildings can require the rights holder's permission. A pending amendment bill would add freedom of panorama but is not yet in force. Long-out-of-copyright structures are safe.
Practical notes
- Kruger and all SANParks parks allow zero drones, with on-the-spot arrest and equipment confiscation.
- Because there is no freedom of panorama, selling a stock image centered on a copyrighted public sculpture or distinctive modern building can require permission.
Sources
Keep shooting
Knowing the rules is half the job. The craft side: