- Large majorities of South Africans say women should be able to decide for themselves whether and when to marry (89%) as well as when to have children and how many children to have (84%).
- Support for women’s autonomy in both arenas increases significantly with a rise in educational attainment.
- Almost nine in 10 citizens (87%) say girls who fall pregnant or have children should be allowed to continue their schooling, while a similar majority (85%) endorse the teaching of sex education in school.
- More than four-fifths say contraceptives should be made available for anyone who is sexually active regardless of age (81%) and marital status (89%).
- About seven in 10 South Africans say abortion is “sometimes” or “always” justified in cases where the pregnancy resulted from rape or incest (68%) or where the woman’s life or health is at risk (71%). Smaller majorities view it as permissible if caring for the child would be economically unviable (62%) or if the woman doesn’t want the pregnancy for any reason (56%).
- One in five (20%) respondents say abortion happens “often” in their communities, while a similar proportion (21%) think it happens “occasionally.”
Sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) are a fundamental aspect of public health and human rights, encompassing physical, mental, and social well-being concerning sexuality and childbearing (Starr et al., 2018). Expressing the right to autonomy over one’s body and sexuality, SRHR ensure that individuals can make informed decisions about their sexual health and reproductive choices and access necessary services without facing discrimination, coercion, or violence. SRHR thus encompasses issues spanning safe conception, access to contraception, abortion, and the prevention and management of sexually transmitted infections, among other things (Department of Health, 2019).
When the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa, better known as the Maputo Protocol, was signed in 2003, it became the first legally binding international instrument to enshrine abortion rights under certain conditions. As of today, 46 African Union member states have ratified the protocol, though only eight allow for the termination of pregnancy on request (Solidarity for African Women’s Rights, 2025; Center for Reproductive Rights, 2023).
South Africa was an early mover on this issue: In 1996, shortly before the country’s progressive Constitution was adopted, it granted women unrestricted access to abortion during the first 12 weeks of gestation. Between 13 and 20 weeks, a pregnancy may be terminated if it resulted from rape or incest, or if continuation of the pregnancy would negatively affect the woman’s social or economic circumstances, threaten her physical or mental health, or result in physical or mental abnormalities in the foetus. After 20 weeks, an abortion is permissible only if continued pregnancy risks injuring or severely malforming the foetus or if it endangers the woman’s life (Government Gazette, 1996).
But while these rights exist on paper, scholars argue that the government has “failed women in South Africa by not affording them their rights” (University of the Witwatersrand, 2024). While abortion-related morbidity is on the decline, access to formal abortion care has remained stagnant since 1994. Women continue to opt for informal and unsafe methods of abortion for a variety of reasons, including stigma, resistance from health-care providers, and an insufficient number of adequately trained medical personnel (Conco et al., 2025).
South Africa provides free access to contraceptives via public-sector facilities, including to minors. However, research has highlighted that provision of adolescent sexual and reproductive health care is patchy, characterised by seasonal stockouts, resource constraints, moral gatekeeping, and fear and embarrassment due to social stigmas (University of the Western Cape, 2025).
A special question module in Afrobarometer’s Round 10 survey (2025) explores the opinions and experiences of South Africans related to sexual and reproductive health and rights.
Most citizens think women should have autonomy in making decisions regarding marriage and reproduction.
Large majorities support making contraceptives available to everyone who is sexually active regardless of age or marital status. More than eight in 10 agree that girls who become pregnant or have children should be allowed to continue their education, while a similar proportion support sex education in school.
At least two-thirds of South Africans say abortion is “sometimes” or “always” justified if the woman’s life or health is in danger or if the pregnancy resulted from rape or incest. Smaller majorities say a woman should be allowed to terminate a pregnancy if economic hardship would preclude her caring for a child or if she does not want to carry the foetus to term for any reason.
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