The State of the South African Child 2023 report contains more than just statistics and data, it unveils the stories and dreams of countless young lives striving to break barriers and reach their full potential.

Released on Monday, to coincide with World Children’s Day, the report – a collaboration between the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund and Deloitte – is a comprehensive assessment of the prevailing issues faced by children in South Africa.

It sheds light on the alarming rates of violence, poverty, inequality, and inadequate access to essential services that continue to hinder the survival, growth, and development of children – and urges citizens to help foster a brighter and more equitable future for every child in the country.

Child abuse highlighted

According to the report, the number of cases of abuse and violence that we see in the crime statistics are just the tip of the iceberg.

It states that while most child abuse happens at schools or at homes, sexual abuse is seen at both. ‘In 2016, one in five cases of sexual abuse happened in schools and there has been no change’.

According to the report, in February 2023, the Department of Social Development reported that there were 17 488 reported cases of child abuse and neglect, with the Western Cape having the highest number of cases.

In addition, two out of five male learners said they have been raped.

Other statistics highlighted in the report include:

• The majority of children aged five to 17 who experienced corporal punishment by teachers at school resided in rural areas.
• The average percentage of children who experienced some form of violence decreased from 18.6% in 2009 to 8.2% in 2019.
• In 2021, 160 cases of sexual misconduct against educators were reported.
• Close to 53% of the children who experienced corporal punishment at school in 2019 were female.
• One in five (20%) learners had experienced some form of cyberbullying or violence in the past year.
• There were 878 child murders in 2020, compared with 1 188 in 2021.
• In 2021, 1 670 children were victims of grievous bodily harm.
• One third of children in SA are at risk of online violence, exploitation and abuse.
• In 2019, the highest number of births (3 440) among adolescents aged 10 to 14 was recorded. The majority took place in KZN and the Eastern Cape.
• More than three children were murdered daily in South Africa over a 90-day period between October and December 2022.
• In quarter one of 2022/23, 3 055 kidnappings were reported.

The impact of Covid-19

The report states that the Covid-19 lockdown had a devastating impact on children’s safety and well-being across the country.

The Department of Social Development reported that violence against children and gender-based violence worsened during and post-pandemic.

Violence against children continues to have a negative impact on children and families, with alarming rates of abuse and specific reports of deaths of children allegedly happening at the hands of parents and caregivers, the report states.

In addition, with children trapped at home with their abusers due to the lockdown and out of the public’s eye, the number of child abuse reports increased.

‘Reaching child victims has been made more difficult as disruptions affected crucial child protection services. Children on the move and younger children, often without access to and knowledge of the services available, bore the brunt’.

State of the SA Child Initiative

The Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund, Girls and Boys Town and Deloitte launched the State of the South African Child Initiative in 2016, to develop and deploy interventions to effect real change for children.

The vision was to mobilise stakeholders across government, business, and civil society through meaningful social strategic partnerships that would drive action and provide tangible results.

At the time, five key challenges were identified that were aligned with the challenges faced by children, namely child poverty, child health and nutrition, education, housing and household and child safety.

Although some progress has been made, a multi-sectoral approach remains essential to drive meaningful impact, the report states.

Five key challenges

The report delves into each of the five key challenges and presents a view of the current state, the areas of focus, and a call to action.

Overall, the report states that the following should be prioritised:

Improved healthcare services: Strengthening healthcare systems to provide accessible, holistic and child-centred health services that address physical, mental and nutritional needs and drive health outcomes.

Accessible and quality education: Investing in inclusive and equitable education systems that provide quality learning opportunities for all children, regardless of their background or circumstances.

Adequate housing and basic services: Prioritising the provision of safe, secure and affordable housing for children, along with access to clean water, sanitation facilities and electricity.

Protection from violence: Implementing comprehensive strategies to prevent and address violence against children, ensuring their safety and well-being in places where they should feel and be safe (schools, homes and in their communities).

Poverty alleviation: Implementing targeted interventions to address the root causes of poverty, ensuring that every child has access to basic necessities, opportunities for social mobility and support for their overall well-being and development.

Accessibility of data on child challenges: Comprehensive data collection, analysis and research needs to be invested in to gather accurate up-to-date information on all issues faced by children to create an accurate image of the problem and monitor and evaluate the impact of interventions being implemented to address these.

More children are going hungry in SA

According to another recent study, with the increase in the cost of basic food together with the high rates of unemployment and poverty, more children are going hungry according.

Health Minister Joe Phaahla told Parliament recently that an extra 6 000 children a year have gone hungry since the Covid-19 pandemic.

The rate of severe acute malnutrition in children under the age of five in SA has risen 26% in the past five years, with the sharpest increase reported in the Eastern Cape.