Having children used to feel like one of those things that was simply part of the traditional life checklist: finish school, study or work, get married, buy a home and have kids. But is that checklist changing?

A recent News24 article looks at South Africa’s declining birth rate and asks whether parenthood is losing its place as an expected part of adult life. The latest Stats SA figures support the bigger trend: South Africa’s fertility rate has fallen from an average of 2.78 children per woman in 2008 to 2.12 in 2026, while recorded births have been declining since 2020.

But this doesn't mean South Africans have suddenly stopped having babies. The country still has a relatively young population and continues to grow. What is changing is how many children people are choosing to have and potentially when, or whether, they choose to become parents at all.

There are plenty of reasons people might be rethinking parenthood: the cost of raising children, housing, career ambitions, relationships, personal freedom and simply deciding that having children isn't part of the life they want.

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