A total of 167 264, civil marriages, 5 084 customary marriages and 867 civil unions were recorded in the marriage registration systems of the Department of Home Affairs in 2011. Women (or spouses-1) generally entered into marriages or unions at younger ages than men (or spouses-2). The gap in median ages at registration of marriage or union was much wider for customary marriages than other types of marriages or unions.

In 2011, 20 980 divorces were granted by the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development. The median age for divorced men was 42 years and that for women 38 years, with more female than male plaintiffs. Divorces were mainly from people who had married for the first time. About 18 571 children were affected by divorces that took place in 2011