Barriers to Birth Registration In a recent report launched by Statistics South Africa, South Africa’s birth registration rate for children under five years old is over 80%, but estimates are that over 100 000 children born a year are not registered at birth or by the age of five years old.[1] WHY? 1. The regulations require that the parents of the child submit valid identity documentation when they give notice of birth. 2. The BDRA and regulations stipulate that birth registration must be done within 30 days of birth. While late registration of birth is permitted after the 30 days, it is subject to additional costs (i.e. DNA tests) and stringent requirements including a panel interview. 3. The BDRA and regulations state that the parents of the child must give notice of birth, or where the children are orphaned or abandoned, a social worker must give notice of birth. There is no scope for a caregiver/guardian to give notice of birth. 4. Section 10 of the BDRA and regulation 12 establish a distinct procedure for birth registration of children born to unmarried parents vs children born to married parents. 5. There is no explicit regulation for the registration of foundings. [1] See: http://www.statssa.gov.za/publications/P0305/P03052018.pdf - it is estimated that about a million children are born in a year in South Africa and the birth registration rate for children under the age of five is 86.4%.