South Africa rings in the New Year with a delightful surge of newborns
On New Year’s Day 2026, South Africa celebrated the arrival of nearly 600 babies across public hospitals.
Image: Supplied
As South Africa stepped into the New Year, public health facilities across the country were buoyed by a remarkable rise in births, with many parents celebrating the arrival of their little ones.
The Gauteng Department of Health confirmed that 196 babies had been delivered at public hospitals and community health centres by midday on January 1. Of these, 90 were boys and 106 were girls, including two sets of twins.
The province’s four academic hospitals accounted for 38 births, while 22 babies were delivered at tertiary hospitals. Regional and district hospitals recorded a combined 100 deliveries, with community health centres contributing a further 36 births.
Gauteng Health and Wellness MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko visited Leratong Hospital to welcome the newborns and present gift hampers. She was joined by the founders of Future4Baby NPO, who donated pre-loved baby items to assist in the care of abandoned children in hospitals.
Nkomo-Ralehoko expressed satisfaction with the standard of care at public facilities, noting that it was encouraging to see mothers with medical aids opting to deliver at state hospitals.
She also raised concern about teenage pregnancies, saying the department was intensifying efforts to work with religious leaders and sister departments, including Education and Social Development, to address the issue.
“In the coming weeks, we will be visiting schools across the province as part of our back-to-school campaign to educate learners about teenage pregnancy and related social challenges,” Nkomo-Ralehoko said.
Western Cape
The Department of Health and Wellness announced that 28 babies were born in public facilities on January 1, with 17 boys and 11 girls.
The first baby of 2026 in the province, a baby boy weighing 3.8 kg, was born at Mowbray Maternity Hospital just after midnight to proud mother Geneva Claasen. This was followed minutes later by another baby boy at Paarl Hospital, weighing 3.5 kg, and later a baby girl born at Stellenbosch Hospital, weighing 3.2 kg.
Western Cape Health and Wellness Minister Mireille Wenger congratulated families and healthcare workers, emphasising the importance of the first 1,000 days of a child’s life.
“When we invest early, we help children grow, develop and thrive well into the future,” Wenger said.
Western Cape Minister of Health and Wellness, Mireille Wenger, spent time with patients and staff at Mowbray Maternity Hospital welcoming the New Year’s babies.
Image: Social Media
KwaZulu-Natal
KZN public health facilities had recorded 144 New Year’s Day births by midday. While celebrating the arrivals, the provincial Department of Health again raised concern over the number of teenage mothers.
Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane visited mothers and babies at Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Hospital in northern Durban, where she also highlighted the province’s growing burden of non-communicable diseases.
Provincial Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane visited mothers and their babies at the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Hospital in the north of Durban.
Image: Social Media
Eastern Cape
Acting Health MEC Bukiwe Fanta visited Frere Hospital to welcome newborns. By 17:30, the province had recorded 116 births, comprising 68 girls and 48 boys.
Health authorities across provinces paid tribute to frontline healthcare workers, particularly midwives, who spent New Year’s Day on duty to ensure safe deliveries.
As the country steps into 2026, health departments have urged parents to make use of clinic services, including immunisations and postnatal care, to give children the strongest possible start in life.
Acting Health MEC Bukiwe Fanta visited Frere Hospital in East London to mark the arrival of New Year babies born in the early hours of 2026.
Image: Social Media
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Saturday Star