92-02-04 - Child Series Volume IV: Children living with grandparents in South Africa, 2023

Household structures in South Africa are influenced by socio-economic challenges and cultural norms. Many families pool resources due to unemployment and poverty, leading to multi-generational living arrangements. Cultural norms emphasize extended families, fostering strong inter-generational bonds. According to the General Household Survey 2023, close to 14% of households were multi-generational and 4,2% were skip-generation households. Rural areas had higher rates of these structures (close to 28%) compared to urban areas (close to 14%). Approximately 6,7 million grandparents lived with 9,7 million children aged 0–17. Grandmothers were the primary caregivers, making up 69,3% of caregiving grandparents. Grandmothers play a crucial role in caregiving, highlighting the importance of extended family support systems.

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