South Africa’s Million Children Without Identity Papers Face Lifelong Barriers

Edited by: Fatima Babadin

More than one million children across South Africa find themselves trapped in uncertainty, lacking official birth certificates. This absence denies them access to essential rights such as healthcare, schooling, and even participation in community life or sports. Cumbersome administrative hurdles and years-long delays in processing late registrations have created a massive backlog, leaving families powerless—many unable to afford the costs of completing paperwork or traveling between provinces. As a result, these children are shut out of public support and remain on the margins of society.

For families living in poverty, the impact is profound. Children grow up excluded from social welfare, medical care, and education, especially in struggling neighborhoods like the Cape Flats or small townships where deprivation is widespread. While bureaucratic demands require parents and guardians to travel long distances or appear before official review panels, many simply give up. Human rights groups have responded by taking legal action, pressing the authorities to address the crisis, remove administrative obstacles, and make the registration process more accessible.

This challenge extends far beyond South Africa. Across the continent, United Nations agencies estimate that hundreds of millions of Africans live without any formal identification, with over half of all children under five lacking a legal identity. The social and economic consequences of being undocumented are severe, depriving generations of children and their families of opportunity and security, and leaving many to wait in hope for systemic change that will finally break the cycle of exclusion.