Erf (law)
# Erf (law)

In real estate, an erf (pl. erven) is the legal term used in Namibia, South Africa and Eswatini to describe a piece of land registered in a deeds registry as an erf, lot, plot or stand. The term is of Afrikaans origin.

Section 102 of the South African Deeds Registries Act, 1937 provides the following definition:

   “erf” means every piece of land registered as an erf, lot, plot or stand in a deeds registry, and includes every defined portion, not intended to be a public place, of a piece of land laid out as a township, whether or not it has been formally recognized, approved or proclaimed as such.

Section 1 of the Namibian Deeds Registries Act, 2015 (Act No. 14 of 2015) gives an identical definition.

