The writing of South Africa's Constitution was a long process that culminated in its adoption in December 1996. The final document had its origins in the interim Constitution, which required the Constitutional Assembly to adopt the new draft within two years and by a majority of at least two-thirds of its members.

A second requirement was that the text comply with the constitutional principles set out in Schedule 4 to the interim Constitution. The text would have no legal force until the Constitutional Court had certified that all the provisions complied with these principles.

Nearly two years after the inauguration of the government of national unity, the deadline for settling on the text loomed. After months of deadlock and intense negotiations, the African National Congress and the National Party reached a compromise. The document was finalised on the night of 7 May 1996 and in the early hours of the next day.