South Africa recorded 987 corrected maternal deaths in 2023, with an institutional maternal mortality ratio of 111.7 per 100,000 live births — well above the Sustainable Development Goal target of 70 — according to the latest Saving Mothers report by the National Committee for Confidential Enquiry into Maternal Deaths.
The report, covering data through 2023, found that 58% of maternal deaths were assessed as potentially preventable within the health system. Administrative avoidable factors were identified in 47.4% of cases, with the most common problem being that appropriately skilled clinical staff were not available on-site or on standby.
Non-pregnancy-related infections and medical or surgical conditions remain the leading causes of maternal death nationally, followed by hypertensive disorders and obstetric haemorrhage, according to University of Cape Town reporting on 24 July 2025 highlighting the findings. A separate peer-reviewed study in the South African Family Practice journal found that obstetric haemorrhage deaths rose from 179 in 2019 to 237 in 2021, with the haemorrhage-related mortality ratio climbing from 18.1 to 23.3 per 100,000 live births during the COVID-19 period.
Rakale et al., writing in the African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine, concluded that the pandemic significantly reversed South Africa’s maternal health progress and exposed critical systemic weaknesses. The same research team noted in the South African Family Practice journal that initial pandemic disruptions severely impacted maternity care services, while subsequent recovery reflected adaptive strategies and resource reallocation.
The 2024/25 District Health Barometer launch presentation reported in-facility maternal mortality at 100.6 per 100,000 live births for 2023/24 and stated that only 14 of 52 districts met the SDG target. Coverage by the Sunday Times on 14 July 2026, citing Health Systems Trust data, put the figure at 15 of 52 districts below the target — a slight discrepancy that reflects different reporting periods or data corrections between the two sources.
For communities across the Cape Flats and Cape Town, these national figures translate into direct questions about district hospital staffing, referral systems, and emergency obstetric care. The Western Cape has historically performed better than provinces like KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape, but the district-level data shows that even better-performing provinces contain facilities where preventable deaths occur due to skills gaps and administrative failures.
South Africa has produced confidential maternal-death reviews for decades, yet the core problems — preventable deaths, staffing shortages, and uneven district performance — recur in report after report. The evidence is not in short supply; the persistent gap lies in translating findings into consistently resourced, adequately staffed maternity care.
What remains unknown is whether the National Department of Health will release a specific implementation plan responding to the 2023 Saving Mothers findings, and whether additional budget allocations will be made to address the skills-availability gaps identified as the leading administrative failing. Cape Flats News journalist Nadia Daniels will follow up with the Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness in the coming week to request provincial-specific maternal mortality data and any corrective measures planned for Cape Town metro facilities.