23. Is there a ban on political parties engaging in commercial activities?

Explicitly banned. However, according to Section 5 of the Public Funding of Represented Political Parties Act 103 of 1997 (hereandafter as the Funding Act), the provision relates only to moneys allocated to a political party from the Fund, which may not be used directly or indirectly for the purpose of establishing any business or acquiring or maintaining any right or financial interest whatsoever in any business, or in any immovable property, except where the right or interest in the immovable property is to be used by the party solely for ordinary party-political purposes.