South Africa and Uganda are both in economic and political transition. In 1994 South Africa entered a new political and constitutional era the highlight of which was the adoption of the interim constitution and later the final constitution. A year later Uganda adopted a new constitution. Both countries’ constitutions have a Bill of Rights.  In drafting its Constitution, Uganda took guidance from the then newly adopted South
African Constitution. Having a colorful bill of rights that contains all universally recognized and accepted human rights is one thing, and protecting and effectively implementing such rights is another. There is no doubt that in order to enjoy or enforce human rights, people have to have knowledge of them. Using a comparative approach, this article discusses and analyses the results of a research project aimed at determining the levels of public awareness and perceptions of human rights in both countries.