South African firearm legislation occupies a distinctive middle ground where ownership is neither prohibited nor freely accessible. Legal ownership is restricted to those aged 21 and older, requiring completion of a competency certificate covering firearm law and handling, alongside comprehensive background checks and mandatory license renewals. Those who obtain dedicated sports shooter or hunter status may possess additional firearms and ammunition, and in some cases a semi-automatic rifle or shotgun. 

The primary research location for the South African case study is Cape Town. A city of nearly 4.8 million people set against the backdrop of Table Mountain, sun-drenched beaches, and the vineyards of the Western Cape. Known fondly as the “Mother City” and colloquially as the “Europe of South Africa”, Cape Town serves as South Africa’s legislative capital and a historical point of origin for firearms in the country – a history that continues to shape their social significance today. 

Taskin Quagliani returns to South Africa as the ARMIES project’s South African researcher, bringing firsthand familiarity with the field. During her time in the field, she will be diving into the everyday dimensions of firearm ownership, using ethnographic methods to study sports shooting associations in and around Cape Town. Through this work, she explores how firearms are woven into daily life and how they acquire meaning as socially significant actants in post-apartheid South Africa.