No additional formalities are requested for travellers from South Africa transiting through a French airport to a third country. They are not allowed to leave the transit airport for another airport.

Whether a South African citizen needs a transit visa for Paris (Charles de Gaulle or Orly) in 2026 depends on their final destination and whether they leave the "International Transit Area." If you are transiting from a non-Schengen country (like the UK) to another non-Schengen country (like the USA) and do not leave the international zone, a South African passport holder generally does NOT need an Airport Transit Visa (ATV). However, if your transit involves moving between two Schengen airports (e.g., flying from Johannesburg to Paris, then Paris to Rome), you are technically entering the Schengen Area and must have a full Schengen Visa. Furthermore, if your layover is long and you wish to stay at a hotel outside the airport or if you need to re-check bags between different airlines that aren't on a single ticket, you will need to clear immigration, necessitating a visa. Always check the 2026 "France-Visas" portal 15 days before travel, as rules for specific "high-risk" transit categories can change based on current EU border policies.