South Africa welcomed more than 860 000 new babies in 2024 – but behind the promising population figures lies a sobering truth, reports Cape {town} Etc.
According to the latest release from Statistics South Africa, 98 351 of last year’s births were to mothers aged 19 and younger. Alarmingly, this includes 2 103 girls between the ages of 10 and 14 – a stark reminder of the country’s ongoing battle with teenage and child pregnancy.
KwaZulu-Natal recorded the highest number of births among this youngest group (438), followed by the Eastern Cape (349). While women aged 20 to 34 still accounted for the majority of births (68.4%), the data underscores the scale of South Africa’s youth vulnerability when it comes to reproductive health and social protection.
In total, 863 858 live births were recorded nationwide in 2024. Encouragingly, 91.2% (787 933) were current registrations, reflecting notable progress in the Department of Home Affairs’ efforts to speed up the registration process. More than 83% of births were registered within 30 days – an improvement from 80.7% in 2023.
The report also offers insight into broader social patterns. Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal led the provinces with the highest share of births (22.6% and 21% respectively), while Limpopo and Northern Cape showed the highest ratios relative to population size. March emerged as the country’s busiest birth month (8.9% of the year’s total), while November saw the fewest (7.3%).
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As for names, the nation’s new generation carries titles rich with meaning: Onalerona (‘God is with us’) was the most popular name for baby girls, while Lethabo (‘Joy’) topped the boys’ list. Common surnames such as Dlamini, Ndlovu and Nkosi continued to dominate.
Yet behind the symbolism of hope, the figures highlight a reality that cannot be ignored – thousands of children are still becoming mothers before they reach adulthood.
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Picture: Pixabay / Pexels
