REGULATIONS / ZA
Südafrika: Drohnenregeln für die Inspektion
Südafrika regelt Drohnen in Part 101 der Civil Aviation Regulations, weitgehend neu gefasst durch das 26th Amendment vom März 2023. Jedes UA braucht ein Registrierungszertifikat und einen UAS Letter of Approval (12 Monate), Piloten ein Fernpilotenzeugnis (RPC), und gewerbliche Arbeit braucht ein UAS Operator Certificate (UASOC) sowie eine Haftpflichtversicherung. Das Fliegen über Personen oder innerhalb von 50 m um eine Person ist verboten, ebenso innerhalb von 50 m um ein Bauwerk oder Gebäude. Die Bauwerksregel entfällt mit Erlaubnis des Eigentümers und Schutz der Personen am Boden, was Inspektionsarbeiten deutlich erleichtert. Flüge über 400 ft, innerhalb von 10 km um einen Flugplatz oder nahe Kernkraftwerken, National Key Points und anderen sensiblen Anlagen brauchen die Genehmigung des Director. BVLOS- und Nachtflüge werden fallweise im Betriebshandbuch oder in den Operations Specifications des UASOC genehmigt.
Gegen amtliche Quellen geprüft
Die Felder sind in der Sprache der Forschungsnotizen erfasst.
| Behörde | 南アフリカ民間航空局 (SACAA) / South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) |
| Hauptrahmen | Civil Aviation Regulations, 2011, Part 101 – Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems, made under the Civil Aviation Act 13 of 2009, with technical standards in SA-CATS 101. Part 101 was largely rewritten by the Twenty-Sixth Amendment of the Civil Aviation Regulations, 2023 (Notice No. R. 3170, GG 48228, 17 March 2023). It applies to Class 1 and 2 UAS unless the Director decides otherwise, and excludes autonomous aircraft, free balloons, aircraft that cannot be managed in real time, Part 94 aircraft, model aircraft and toys. The regulation text was read in a commercial legal-publisher reproduction (Acts Online), not the Government Gazette itself. |
| Registrierung | A UA may not be operated in South Africa without a certificate of registration and registration mark issued by the Director (101.02.4). The mark format is set in SA-CATS 101. Ownership transfers must be notified within 30 days. Each UAS also needs a UAS Letter of Approval (UASLA, 101.02.1), valid 12 months. Whether lighter or private-use aircraft are exempt depends on the Class 1/2 definitions in SA-CATS, which were not read (not verified against an official source, 2026-10-22) |
| Remote ID | No Remote ID provision was found in the regulations read (not verified against an official source, 2026-10-22) |
| Pilotenlizenzen | Under the 2023 text the pilot must carry a valid remote pilot certificate (RPC), a copy of the UA operator's certificate (UASOC) and its operations specifications, a registration certificate for each UA, the operator's liability insurance certificate and the user manuals (101.05.10(1)). Operation types are commercial, corporate, non-profit or private. |
| Risikokategorien | Class 1 and 2 UAS as defined in the regulations and SA-CATS 101, combined with operation types (commercial, corporate, non-profit, private). There is no EU-style Open/Specific scheme. The class definitions were not read (not verified against an official source, 2026-10-22) |
| BVLOS | BVLOS is prohibited unless the Director approves it in a UASOC holder's operations manual, which requires meeting SA-CATS 101. Approved BVLOS must stay in VMC and below 400 ft above the surface unless otherwise approved (101.05.11). |
| Nacht & über Menschen | Night flight is allowed only in R-VLOS operation or with Director approval for a UASOC holder, recorded on the OpSpec and compliant with SA-CATS 101. Night operations in controlled airspace need separate approval (101.05.12). No flight directly over people or within 50 m laterally of any person, except with a UASOC and Director approval, or for the operator's own crew with adequate safety provisions (101.05.13). |
| Nahe an Bauwerken | No flight within 50 m laterally of any structure or building (101.05.14) unless the operator holds a UASOC with Director approval, or has the owner's permission and takes measures to protect people on the ground. Owner permission therefore opens close-in structure inspection. Unless the Director authorises otherwise: no flight above 400 ft, within 10 km of an aerodrome reference point, in restricted or prohibited airspace, or next to or above a nuclear power plant, prison, police station, crime scene, court, national key point or strategic installation (101.05.10(3)). National key points and strategic installations can include major power and industrial sites. |
| Innen & enge Räume | The applicability rule does not mention indoor operations (not verified against an official source, 2026-10-22) |
| Aufnahmen & Datenschutz | Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) (not verified against an official source, 2026-10-22) |
| Jüngste Änderungen | The Twenty-Sixth Amendment of the Civil Aviation Regulations (17 March 2023) substituted most of Part 101, bringing in UASLA, UASOC, RPC terminology and the current distance and night rules. Amendments in 2024-2026 were not checked (not verified against an official source, 2026-10-22) |
Wenn derselbe Flug auch Filmaufnahmen umfasst, behandelt der Aerial-Leitfaden Regeln und Quellen für Drohnenaufnahmen in Südafrika.
Für Lieferregeln anderswo in Afrika siehe Regeln und Primärquellen für Drohnenlieferungen in Kenia im Logistics-Guide.
Quellen
- CAR 101.01.1 – ApplicabilityVolltext gelesen
- CAR 101.02.1 – UAS letter of approvalVolltext gelesen
- CAR 101.02.4 – Registration and markingVolltext gelesen
- CAR 101.05.10 – General restrictionsVolltext gelesen
- CAR 101.05.11 – Beyond visual line of sight operationsVolltext gelesen
- CAR 101.05.12 – Night operationsVolltext gelesen
- CAR 101.05.13 – Operations in vicinity of peopleVolltext gelesen
- CAR 101.05.14 – Operations in the vicinity of property, structures and buildingsVolltext gelesen
Quellen geprüft: 2026-10-22