South Africa’s second National Sex Worker HIV, TB and STI Plan (NSWP 2019-2022) recognises that the individual capacities of sex workers are intimately tied to the enabling (or disabling) character of criminalisation and human rights (the policy framework), social norms (gender inequality) and practices and institutions (the health system). The NSWP 2019-2022 builds on the strengths of the first Sex Worker HIV Plan (2016-2019), addressing gaps identified over the past three years and supporting the call for decriminalisation of sex work. The plan recognises that specialised strategies are needed to reach certain subgroups of sex workers who are more stigmatised and hidden.