Persons with a demonstrable record of interest and activity in science may apply for membership of the Royal Society of South Africa.

Honorary fellowships are on rare occasions awarded to persons who have done scientific research of exceptional distinction in South Africa.

The peer-reviewed Transactions of the Royal Society of South Africa is listed amongst the interdisciplinary journals by the Institute for Scientific Information in Philadelphia.

Biographies of deceased fellows, annual reports of the society and presidential addresses are amongst the material that is also published in the Transactions.

The Royal Society of South Africa is totally independent of government and receives no state-derived subsidy other than a small grant towards the cost of publications.