Quick Guide to Using PAIA

This guide provides a practical overview of the Promotion of Access to Information Act 2 of 2000 (PAIA) in South Africa, detailing the procedures for requesting records from public and private bodies, the role of PAIA Manuals, and the process for appeals and complaints via the Information Regulator.

• The Promotion of Access to Information Act 2 of 2000 (PAIA) implements the constitutional right of access to information by establishing rules and procedures for accessing records from both state departments and private companies.
• All state departments and private companies must publish a PAIA Manual, which identifies the 'information officer' and provides contact details for submitting requests. For public bodies, the information officer is typically the Director General, Head of Department, or Municipal Manager; for private bodies, it is the head of the entity.
• Requests for records are made using a single form (Form 02) for both public and private bodies and typically require a request fee and proof of identification. Responses are legally required within 30 days, with a possible one-time extension of up to 30 additional days.
• The process for challenging a refusal of information depends on the type of public body. Internal appeals are limited to bodies within the national, provincial, or local spheres of government and must be filed within 60 days. Complaints regarding other public bodies, private bodies, or dismissed internal appeals are handled by the Information Regulator or through judicial review in court.
• The Information Regulator was established as of 31 June 2021 to oversee PAIA objectives and ensure access to records is obtained as swiftly and inexpensively as possible. Additionally, some records are automatically available without a PAIA request; for example, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) provides environmental authorisations and waste management licences, while the Department of Water and Sanitation provides water use licences and compliance reports.

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (2017). Quick Guide to Using PAIA. https://cer.org.za/programmes/transparency/quick-guide-using-paia

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. Quick Guide to Using PAIA. 2017. https://cer.org.za/programmes/transparency/quick-guide-using-paia.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=Quick Guide to Using PAIA |date=17 March 2017 |url=https://cer.org.za/programmes/transparency/quick-guide-using-paia |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centreforenvironmentalrights2017quick, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{Quick Guide to Using PAIA}}, institution = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, year = {2017}, month = mar, url = {https://cer.org.za/programmes/transparency/quick-guide-using-paia}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }