The South African government has three levels: national, provincial and local. Each level has specific responsibilities which are detailed in the Constitution.

1. National government makes laws and decides on guidelines and procedures for the whole country. The national government also provides some services like giving out ID books.
   
   
2. Each of the nine provinces has its own provincial government that may also make laws but these laws will only affect one province. The provincial government works with national government to provide some major services like health, education and social services.
   
   
3. The role of local government is service delivery, promoting a safe and healthy environment and ensuring that there is community development. Many of the community actions we take are informed by all levels of government, but most of the time you will need to communicate with local government because that level of government is intended to work directly with communities, ensuring that government resources get to the people who need it.
   

The publication Know your Service Rights provides information on what you could expect from government.