South Africa's one million invisible children without birth certificates

An NGO has taken the South African government to court over a backlog of hundreds of thousands of applications for late birth registration, with some people waiting for seven years for a response from Home Affairs. Living without a birth certificate restricts access to healthcare and education in South Africa. On the continent, more than half of Africa's children under five lack any form of legal identity.

Jul 5, 2025 - 14:00
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South Africa's one million invisible children without birth certificates
An NGO has taken the South African government to court over a backlog of hundreds of thousands of applications for late birth registration, with some people waiting for seven years for a response from Home Affairs. Living without a birth certificate restricts access to healthcare and education in South Africa. On the continent, more than half of Africa's children under five lack any form of legal identity.

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