 The Immorality Act, 1927 prohibited extramarital sex between "Europeans" and "natives".This was redefined by the Immorality Amendment Act, 1950 as illicit carnal intercourse between "Europeans" and "non-Europeans",

The Immorality Act, 1957, later renamed the Sexual Offences Act, 1957, repealed the 1927 Act (as amended) and introduced new offences for brothel keeping, pimping and procuring.Interracial sex was now criminalised as unlawful carnal intercourse between "white" and "coloured" people.