A court in South Africa has ruled that a man can take his wife's surname or have a double-barrelled name. Before this ruling, the country's Births and Deaths Registration Act had required that a husband needed to apply to the government to take his wife's name or to hyphenate it. However, even then, there was no guarantee it would be granted. The request was denied in many cases. The new rule says prohibiting a man from adopting his spouse's family name was gender discrimination. It says a man has the right to assume the last name of a woman he marries.

The court's decision was met with mixed reaction on social media. Many people said it was progressive and a sign the country was providing greater equality. They pointed out that the previous law was passed in the colonial era and was overly paternalistic. They also say the law continues South Africa's progressiveness. The country was the first in Africa to legalize same-sex marriage. However, other people criticized the new ruling. They say it goes against the country's traditions. One user on X said it would "destroy the norms and values" of indigenous citizens.