The Department of Social Development, in partnership with UNICEF, undertook a study to identify and compile reliable estimates of the number of orphans in South Africa. The study used data from births and deaths files from the Population Register. This meant that it was not possible to count paternal orphans as the father’s details are optional in the birth registration process of children of unmarried parents.

Results

By the end of 2009 there were just less than one million (905,453) maternal orphans in South Africa which amounts to 4% of all children.

KwaZulu-Natal has the most orphans in the country. Its 226,759 orphans account for 26% of the national total. In Gauteng there were 147,136 (17%), in the Eastern Cape, 142,444 (16%), the Northern Cape, 24,769 (3%), and the Western Cape, 38,537 (4%).

The Minister’s speech from which this data was obtained did not provide the statistics for the other provinces and the full data and report has not been posted or made publicly available on the Department’s website at this stage.