Teenage pregnancy in South Africa:  With a specific focus on school-going learners

The transition to parenthood is a major event in the lifespan of any individual, but takes on special significance when it precedes the transition to education, work, citizenship and marriage that collectively offer the skills, resources and social stock necessary for individuals to succeed as parents. Although alternative pathways to parenthood occur and are tolerated to some extent, institutional support for parenthood is still geared towards a traditional sequencing of transitions.

The purpose of the study was to document, review and critically analyse literature on teenage pregnancy with a focus on school-going adolescents.

The report also makes recommendations for interventions within the education system and within other sectors. The recommendations include:

    •    Universal implementation of effective sex education;
    •    Targeted interventions for high risk groups as identified in the report;
    •    Interventions to retain learners in school;
    •    Service learning programmes that involve community service that is either voluntary or linked to the school curriculum;
    •    Second chances – young men and women, need to be empowered about their right to education in order for them to demand access when provision is denied; as well as
    •    Interventions within other sectors such as communities, clinics, the health sector in general, parents and the mass media.

Download the full report here:

This report was commissioned by Unicef on behalf of the Department of Education.

For more information contact:

Dr Monde Makiwane

Senior research specialist

Child, Youth, Family and Social Development research programme 

Telephone: +27 (0)12 302 2239 

E-mail: mmakiwane@hsrc.ac.za