Government’s newly approved national strategy aimed at accelerating action for children is one tool aimed at improving the circumstances of the country’s most vulnerable.
In his address to the nation through the weekly newsletter on Monday, President Cyril Ramaphosa warned that despite the gains made since the advent of democracy, nearly half of South Africa’s children still live in poverty and face high levels of abuse, neglect and poor health outcomes.
Earlier this month, Cabinet approved the National Strategy to Accelerate Action for Children (NSAAC), a wide-ranging framework designed to improve the health, safety and development of children and adolescents. The strategy will be implemented through the 5th National Plan of Action for Children (2025–2030) and seeks to mobilise government, business, labour and civil society around a shared agenda for children.
“The best way to secure our country’s future is to invest in the health and well-being of its children,” President Ramaphosa said, noting that while progress has been made in reducing child poverty and mortality since 1994, significant challenges remain.
According to a recent Statistics South Africa report, child poverty declined from 69% in 2006 to 49% in 2023. However, children remain the most affected group, with nearly half living in poverty - the highest rate of any age group.
The newly approved strategy identifies 10 national priorities aligned to key stages in a child’s life, with particular focus on adolescents and children with disabilities. It follows extensive consultations with government departments, the children’s sector and children themselves, and is intended to strengthen coordination across all sectors of society.
President Ramaphosa highlighted early-life disadvantages as a critical concern, pointing to maternal undernutrition and its impact on birth outcomes, breastfeeding and child immunity. Poor nutrition in early childhood, the President said, continues to undermine children’s health, education and long-term prospects.
“This domino effect must be broken,” he said, stressing the need for early interventions to prevent children from falling behind before they even start school.
Crimes against children were also flagged as a major national crisis. During Child Protection Month in May, authorities reported more than 26 000 cases of child abuse and neglect in the 2024/2025 financial year, with the majority involving sexual abuse.
“The experience of children today will determine our nation’s social and economic wellbeing over the next twenty years,” President Ramaphosa said, warning that failure to act decisively would have long-term consequences for communities and the economy.
As part of the new strategy, government has announced the launch of a national “Hold My Hand” campaign, calling on every South African to take practical action to improve the lives of children.
The campaign urges citizens to imagine the impact if every child had “enough love, enough food, safety and brainpower”, arguing that such collective action could fundamentally change the country’s future.
Business and organised labour were singled out as key partners in the effort.
President Ramaphosa said the private sector’s resources and logistics networks could help support under-resourced early learning programmes, while trade unions have a role to play in advocating for time and support for working parents.
The President also paid tribute to civil society organisations, health workers, teachers, social workers, child and youth care workers, as well as parents and grandparents, for their longstanding role in protecting and nurturing children.
“For the sake of our shared future, we must work together to ensure that our nation’s children and young people grow, thrive and are happy,” he said, calling for renewed commitment as the country heads into the new year. – SAnews.gov.za
