The State of South Africa’s Fathers Report 2024 provides a crucial examination of the evolving nature of fatherhood in South Africa. It integrates recent data, research and practice-based analysis to provide a comprehensive picture of fathers’ challenges, reflections and emerging roles, aiming to transform prevailing narratives about fathers and male caregivers’ involvement in childcare. This is the third edition of the report.
The report reveals a critical and evolving reality; the majority of children in South Africa do not live with their biological fathers. Only 35% of children co-reside with their biological fathers, while a greater proportion, 40%, live with other men who may take on caregiving roles. In fact, since 2010, children have been more likely to live with non-biological male caregivers than their own fathers.
This report challenges the narrow definition of fatherhood as merely financial provision. Instead, it presents a fuller picture of caregiving, emotional engagement and the vital role of social fathers, those who are not biologically related but actively involved in children’s lives.
The traditional narrative of the father as sole provider is outdated. In today’s South Africa, many women are stepping into this role; 85% of women report financially supporting their biological children compared to 79% of men. These findings, drawn from nationally representative and urban-focused surveys, serve as a call to businesses to reassess their support for fatherhood in the workplace and beyond.
Methodology
The report relies on two primary data sources:
- The General Household Survey (GHS) 2023, a nationally representative dataset from Statistics South Africa
- The State of the World’s Fathers 2023 South Africa survey, which included 808 participants (545 parents), mainly urban and higher-income
It also draws on practitioner insights from fatherhood-focused communities of practice, including the South African Parenting Programme Implementers Network (SAPPIN), to ground research in real-world application.
Key findings
The GHS 2023 indicates that only 35% of South African children lived with their biological fathers in the same household. A significant 40% lived with other men. The data also shows that approximately 19% (about four million) children co-resided with neither biological parent in 2023. This continues a trend seen since 1996, with a nine-percentage-point decrease in children living with their biological fathers (down from 45% in 1996) and an eight-percentage-point increase in those living with non-biological adult males. Since 2010, children have been more likely to live with non-biological adult males than with their biological fathers.
The State of the World’s Fathers 2023 survey revealed that women consistently reported spending more time on caregiving than men. A higher percentage of women (85%) provided financial support to biological children compared to men (79%). While men participated in ‘fun’ activities (e.g. playing with children, 75%), they spent less time on primary care tasks like dressing children (62%) or doing homework (65%) compared to women, suggesting a tendency to ‘cherry-pick’ care activities.
Social parenting: Men and women’s care for children they are not related to as parents
A key finding of the State of South Africa’s Fathers 2024 report is that men’s involvement in caring for children to whom they are not biologically related is higher than previously expected. While women still carry more of the overall caregiving load, it is encouraging to see many men stepping into care roles, especially in a context where most children live with men who are not their biological fathers.
The survey shows that 44% of men provided financial support to non-biological children, compared to 50% of women. While this reflects a gender gap, it also highlights substantial male engagement in what the report defines as social fatherhood, namely, men caring for children without a biological link.
This pattern is also visible in day-to-day caregiving. Some 42% of men played with non-biological children, compared to 51% of women. Additionally, 28% of men read to these children, while 40% of women did so, and 25% of men walked them to school, close to 27% of women. Fewer men participated in tasks such as dressing children, at 19% compared to 38% of women. Nevertheless, the overall data reflect meaningful male involvement. These figures suggest a growing number of men are engaging in caregiving beyond financial support, including emotional, practical and social aspects.
Case study
amaGents – Challenging stereotypes about Black men
The documentary film amaGents highlights the crucial role of social fatherhood, particularly through male early childhood development (ECD) practitioners in KwaZulu-Natal. Inspired by the filmmakers’ own experiences of growing up without fathers, the film challenges negative stereotypes of Black men by highlighting their positive contributions to caregiving. It illustrates that caring is not at odds with masculinity; instead, it fosters social cohesion and empathy. These male ECD teachers demonstrate a novel approach by engaging both mothers and fathers in discussions about child development during home visits, promoting shared parental responsibility beyond just financial provision. amaGents offers new templates and social scripts to help men be more caring, aiming to redefine fatherhood and empower men. The film serves as a key example of how men can become social fathers to children by working in ECD.
The documentary can be found at: https://fade2black.co.za/film/amagents/
Recommendations
A central insight from the State of South Africa’s Fathers 2024 report is the untapped potential of social fathers – men who care for children they are not biologically related to – as a vital caregiving resource. In a country where most children live with men who are not their biological fathers, these relationships matter immensely for child wellbeing. However, their potential can only be fully realised when supported by broader social, economic and workplace structures.
One of the most actionable findings for business is the impact of parental leave. According to the State of the World’s Fathers 2023 South Africa survey, 85% of women used their full parental leave, compared to 74% of men. While uptake among men remains lower, it is growing, offering an important window to shift social norms. Fathers who take parental leave are more likely to remain actively involved in caregiving in the long term, which benefits children, partners and workplaces alike.
The report presents a compelling case that supporting fathers is not only a social imperative but also a business advantage. Companies with equitable leave policies report improved employee morale, greater loyalty and stronger retention. Moreover, when caregiving is normalised for men, it enables women to re-enter and thrive in the workforce, contributing to gender equality and economic resilience.
Corporate social investment (CSI), then, must be understood not only as funding external community projects but also as an investment in the continuum of wellbeing, one that includes employee wellbeing, particularly for working parents. Supporting fathers in the workplace is a vital part of this continuum.
For CSI practitioners, this means reimagining investment strategies to bridge internal and external impacts. The following approaches can help create a more care-responsive business environment and a stronger society:
| 1. Invest in holistic father-focused programmes: Support evidence-informed parenting initiatives that expand the fatherhood role beyond financial provision to include emotional support, nurturing and active caregiving. |
| 2. Advocate for equitable parental leave: Promote and implement leave policies that include non-transferable leave for fathers, beginning from a child’s birth, to normalise paternal care. |
| 3. Support fathers’ mental health: Provide accessible, stigma-free mental health resources tailored for men and fathers, recognising the pressures many face in juggling care, identity and income insecurity. |
| 4. Challenge limiting gender norms: Collaborate with organisations working to reshape harmful narratives about masculinity, positioning care and vulnerability as strengths. |
| 5. Recognise and empower social fathers: Design programmes that affirm and equip men who play caring roles in children’s lives without a biological link, including coaches, mentors, teachers and extended family members. |
| 6. Address structural barriers: Support broader advocacy and policy efforts to reduce unemployment and poverty, two of the most significant barriers to men’s meaningful involvement in family life. |
In embracing these strategies, businesses can become champions of caregiving cultures within and beyond their own walls. By embedding care in both human resource policies and community engagement, CSI can catalyse systemic change, empowering more men to lead with care and purpose, and ultimately contributing to more stable families, thriving children and equitable economies.
Find out more
- The full report, State of South Africa’s Fathers 2024, is available at: https://www.sun.ac.za/english/Lists/news/DispForm.aspx?ID=11095, and https://www.mencare.org/resources/state-of-south-africas-fathers-2024/
- Van den Berg, K. Ratele, T. Makusha, & M. Malinga (Eds.), State of South Africa’s Fathers 2024 report, 2024. Tataokhona.
- The full report, The State of the World’s Fathers Report 2023, is available at:
https://www.equimundo.org/resources/state-of-the-worlds-fathers-2023/ - Samuels, D., & Ndoda, K. (2024). amaGents: A film about male caregivers challenging stereotypes about Black men. In W.
- Contact: The Tataokhona Project at the University of Stellenbosch
