Baby factories busiest during cold winter months, but birth rate drops

Chosen names point to hope for the future

- By Mzwandile kaBIzokwakhe

The latest birth statistics from Statistics South Africa paint a picture of a nation with steadily declining birth rates, yet one where the seasonal rhythm of conception remains remarkably consistent, and parents continue to express profound hope through the names they choose for their newborns.

In 2024, a total of 863858 births were registered, a significant decline of 68280 from the 932138 registered the year before. This continues a broader downward trend, with the number of births that actually occurred in 2024 standing at 787933, the lowest annual figure reported in the two-decade dataset spanning 2005 to 2024.