Cape Town - The Western Cape Health and Wellness department has revealed that children as young as 11-years-old are finding themselves in their maternity wards, while the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) confirmed their school drop out numbers were largely due to teen pregnancies.
Shocking statistics were released this week to the Cape Argus, with the Department of Health and Wellness data showing that over the past three financial years, adolescent deliveries have risen by 26.66%, highlighting the ongoing challenges in addressing teenage pregnancies despite existing interventions.
Data showed that deliveries for women/ children between the ages of 11 and 19-years-old had reached 8114 for 2022/2023, 9938 for 2023/2024, 10277 for 2024/2025.
Department spokesperson Nadia Ferreira said the City of Cape Town had the highest number of pregnancies for the year 2024/2025 with 5967.
Cape Winelands reported 1711 teen pregnancies for the same year period, Central Karoo, 154, Garden Route, 1230, Overberg, 549 and West Coast with 666.
Ferreira said adolescent pregnancy remained a significant public health and social concern, with lasting effects on young mothers, their families, and their communities and that support was paramount.
“Young mothers often face challenges such as disruptions to their education, limited economic opportunities, and increased health risks for both themselves and their babies,” she said.
“Ensuring that adolescents have the knowledge, support, and healthcare they need is essential in giving them the best possible start in life.
“Comprehensive sexual education is a key factor in empowering young people to make responsible and informed decisions about their health and future.
The trend via the data suggested the Western Cape had an overall increase in deliveries among adolescents and young women aged 11–19 across most districts between 2022 and 2024, Ferreira said.
“While some sub districts have seen minor fluctuations, others have experienced significant increases in adolescent births,” she added.
Several factors may be contributing to this trend, including gaps in reproductive health knowledge, limited access to healthcare services, and broader social and economic influences.
The WCED said the number of learners to fall pregnant has decreased significantly in the past five to six years while more children are attending school as the province has the highest retention rate compared nationally, with a rate of 69.9 percent.
WCED spokesperson Bronagh Hammond said while the numbers showed a decline in pregnancies, cases were often not reported to the department and learners would fail to inform the school of their departure.
The WCED reports that between 2017 and 2018, 2208 learners fell pregnant, 2159 in 2018/2019, 2 283, 2019/2020, 1828 in 2020/2021, 1754 in 2021/2022, 1602 in 2022/2023.
Hammond said it was tricky giving numbers for the rate of school dropout’s as many factors attributed to it and that teenage pregnancy was one of them.
“Societal issues or health, other learners may leave a school for a variety of reasons, including relocation to another province or country, further study at an FET college, home schooling options or private institutions. These learners cannot be deemed as a ‘drop out’ from the education system,” she explained.
She added the province’s throughput rate of learners entering Grade 10 in 2022 and completing and passing their 2024 NSC was 69.9 %.
“We have monitored retention trends from Grade 1-7, which indicates an increase in retention from 80% in the periods 2010-2016 to 94% in 2017-2023,” she added.
Hammond explained schools follow up on learner absenteeism on a regular basis but the lack of parental support in some communities made it a difficult task.
Professor Kobus Maree said the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Pretoria (UP) said support was vital for learners who fell pregnant.
“We have to look at the stigma the child can suffer, “ he said. “Schools should have a holistic approach and make sure they remain in schools and that they receive psychosocial support.
Imraan Mukkadum, a community activist from Elsies River added: “If you were to visit any Cape Flats township be it Manenberg or Khayelitsha, the most troubling phenomenon on the streets is the presence of children of school going age, which is considered normal in these communities. When we approach boys between the ages 12 and 13-years-olds and inquire why they are not in school, a common response is that they have been expelled.