Recorded Live Births 1998–2010

The registration of births in South Africa is governed by the Births and Deaths Registration Act, 1992 (Act No. 51 of 1992), as amended, and is administered by the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) using Form DHA-24 (Notice of birth), which recently replaced Form BI-24 that was previously used. Notice of the birth must be given by one of the parents or; if neither parent is available to do so, the person having charge of the child or a person requested by the parents to do so. The person requested to register the birth must have a written mandate from the child's parents which must also include the reasons why neither of the parents is in a position to register the birth. The birth of a child outside the country; where at least one parent is a South African citizen; can be registered at any South African Mission abroad.Documentary proof in the form of a birth certificate of the foreign country must accompany the Notice of Birth.

The Act states that a child must be registered within 30 days of birth. Where the notice of a birth is given after the expiration of 30 days from the date of the birth, the Director-General may demand that reasons for the late notice be furnished and that the fingerprints be taken of the person whose notice of birth is given. Where the notice of a birth is given for a person aged 15 years and older, the birth shall be registered if it complies with the prescribed requirements for a late registration of birth.

Following the registration of a birth, a birth certificate is issued by the DHA. Citizens and permanent residents receive computer-printed abridged birth certificates and non-citizens receive handwritten certificates. The information of South African citizens and permanent residents is captured on the National Population Register (NPR).

The following persons and particulars are eligible to be included on the NPR:

• All children born of South African citizens and permanent residents when the notice of the birth is given within one year after the birth of the child.

• All children born of South African citizens and permanent residents when the notice of the birth is given one year after the birth of the child; together with the prescribed requirement for a late registration of birth.

• All South African citizens and permanent residents who, upon attainment of the age of 16, applied for and were granted identification cards (or books).

• All South African citizens and permanent residents who die at any age after birth.

• All South African citizens and permanent residents who depart permanently from South Africa.

The DHA captures information on places based on magisterial districts using the twelfth edition of the Standard Code List of Areas (Central Statistics Services, 1995). Stats SA then recodes the magisterial districts into district councils (DCs), metropolitan areas (metros) and provinces based on the 2011
municipal boundaries. The data sets for 1998 to 2010 have all been recoded according to the 2011 municipal boundaries.

It should be noted that the distribution of births by DCs, metros and provinces are approximate figures; as there was no perfect match of magisterial districts for all DCs, metros and provinces since some magisterial districts are situated in more than one DC, metro or province. Such magisterial districts were
allocated to the district council where the majority of the land area falls (see the folder on maps). The only exception was with Nigel in Gauteng province. The majority of the land area of Nigel magisterial district is in Sedibeng district council (which is mainly farm areas and therefore sparsely populated) while
the majority of the population lives in Ekurhuleni metropolitan area. As such, Nigel was classified to Ekurhuleni and not Sedibeng.

Magisterial district of birth refers to the district of birth occurrence for births registered before 15 years of age. For those that were registered from 15 years of age, district refers to the district of birth registration. Furthermore, from 2009, the processing of late birth registrations from age 15 were centralised at the
DHA head office in Pretoria. As such, the late birth registrations processed in Pretoria from 15 years have a district code of Pretoria; even if they occurred in other areas. There were a few exceptional cases which were registered in Pretoria; but were not captured using the Pretoria code.