The invisible children: South Africa’s late birth registration backlog

Podcast: Daily Maverick · Daily Maverick

Opublikowano: 2026-07-16

Imagine growing up in South Africa without any legal proof that you exist. Thousands of children are trapped in a backlog of birth registration applications, leaving them unable to access the documents they need and forcing their caregivers into a lengthy bureaucratic struggle. This is the hidden cost of being invisible to the state. Daily Maverick’s Tamsin Metelerkamp reports. Reporting by: Tamsin Metelerkamp Filmed by: Joel Seboa Edited by: Joel Seboa Produced by: Emilie Gambade Creative lead by: Malibongwe Tyilo Sub-edited by: Kevin Flynn Support journalism that protects democracy. Becom...