President Cyril Ramaphosa: South Africa's response to Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic
4 April 2022
President Cyril Ramaphosa: Country's response to Coronavirus Covid-19 pandemic
22 March 2022
National vaccination programme: Changes to dosing intervals and introduction of heterologous booster doses
21 February 2022
Cabinet approves changes to adjusted alert level 1 Covid-19 regulations
31 January 2022
A special Cabinet meeting held today, 31 January 2022, has approved changes to the Adjusted Alert Level 1 COVID-19 regulations. This follows meetings of the National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC) and the President’s Coordinating Council (PCC) which received updates on the management of COVID-19 in South Africa. Read more
Government statements, announcements and addresses 2021
President Cyril Ramaphosa: South Africa's response to Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic
30 September 2021
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President Cyril Ramaphosa: South Africa's response to Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic
27 June 2021
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President Cyril Ramaphosa: Developments in the country’s response to the Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic
15 June 2021
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President Cyril Ramaphosa: Developments in the country’s response to the Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic
30 March 2021
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Directions regarding the national framework and criteria for the management of the 2021 academic year in public and private higher education institutions
29 March 2021
President Cyril Ramaphosa: South Africa's progress in national effort to contain Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic
28 February 2021
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Statement by President Cyril Ramaphosa on progress in the national effort to contain the Covid-19 pandemic
1 February 2021
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Minister Blade Nzimande: Plans for reopening of Post School Education and Training Institutions amid Coronavirus Covid-19
18 January 2021
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President Cyril Ramaphosa: South Africa's progress in national effort to contain Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic
11 January 2021
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President Cyril Ramaphosa: Developments in Coronavirus Covid-19 response
3 December 2020
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Minister Blade Nzimande: Progress in post school education and training sector in response to Covid-19 epidemic
26 November 2020
President Cyril Ramaphosa: Progress in the national effort to contain the Coronavirus Covid-19 pandemic
11 November 2020
Minister Blade Nzimande: Higher Education and Training responds to Coronavirus Covid-19 epidemic lockdown level 1
Latest address by the president - COVID-19 alert level 1
16 September 2020
The move to alert level 1 will take effect from midnight on Sunday 20 September 2020. Read the president's full statement
COVID-19 alert level 2 measures in the post-school education and training sector
26 August 2020
Read the full statement by Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, Dr Blade Nzimande.
Latest address by the president - COVID-19 alert level 2
17 August 2020
South Africa is placed on alert level 2, with effect from midnight on Monday, the 17th of August 2020. Read the president's full statement.
12 July 2020
Phased-in reopening of Higher Education
10 June 2020
Prof Dan Kgwadi discusses phased-in reopening of the NWU in this eNCA clip.
Latest address by Minister Blade Nzimande
6 June 2020
Latest address by the president
24 May 2020
Read the latest address by President Cyril Ramaphosa on South Africa's response to the Coronavirus pandemic.
Post-school education sector response to COVID-19
23 May 2020
Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation's statement on the implementation of measures by the post-school education sector in response to COVID-19 epidemic. Read more
Q&A on measures to phase out the lockdown and phase in strategic functions in the PSET sector
7 May 2020
Read questions and answers about the phasing in of strategic functions in the PSET sector.
Statements by Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology
30 April 2020
Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation statement on the measures to phase out the lockdown and phasing in of PSET strategic functions. Read more
Statement by President Cyril Ramaphosa on South Africa's response to the Coronavirus pandemic, including a gradual and phased recovery of economic activity.
23 April 2020
"...We have accordingly decided that beyond Thursday 30 April, we should begin a gradual and phased recovery of economic activity. We will implement a risk-adjusted strategy through which we take a deliberate and cautious approach to the easing of current lockdown restrictions." Read more
Plans for Academic Year 2020 and response to COVID-19 pandemic
21 April 2020
Read here about plans to save the academic year 2020 for public universities, information about students remaining in university residences, research and other work of universities contributing to the prevention and management of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Statement by President Cyril Ramaphosa on measures to combat the COVID-19 epidemic and the extension of the lockdown
9 April 2020
"After careful consideration of the available evidence, the National Coronavirus Command Council has decided to extend the nation-wide lockdown by a further two weeks beyond the initial 21 days." Read more
Minister Zweli Mkhize confirms 2nd death and total of 1280 cases of Coronavirus COVID-19
29 March 2020
As of today, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases is 1280. This is an increase of 93 from the previously reported cases. It is with sadness that we also announce the second death of a patient who had tested positive for #COVID19. #CoronavirusInSA Read more
Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation update statement following President Cyril Ramaphosa addressing the Nation on the Government response to Covid 19
28 March 2020
Media release from the Minister of Health
27 March 2020
Today, South Africa has 1170 confirmed cases. This is an increase of 243 new cases from yesterday’s announcement. Read more
Statement by president Cyril Ramaphosa
23 March 2020
Statement by president Cyril Ramaphosa on escalation of measures to combat COVID-19 epidemic
Latest confirmed cases of COVID-19
23 March 2020
"Fellow South Africans, as of today, South Africa now has 402 confirmed cases of COVID-19. This means there has been an increase of 128 from yesterday’s announcement." Read more
Government press releases and notices
Stay informed! Get all the latest press releases and notices as issued by the Department of Health here: https://sacoronavirus.co.za/category/press-releases-and-notices/
Statements by Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology
16 March 2020
Click to read statements by Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology on measures to combat COVID-19 epidemic.
Statement by President Cyril Ramaphosa on measures to combat the COVID-19 epidemic
15 March 2020
"I am addressing you this evening on a matter of great national importance. The world is facing a medical emergency far graver than what we have experienced in over a century. The World Health Organisation has declared the coronavirus outbreak as a
global pandemic...We have decided to take urgent and drastic measures to manage the disease, protect the people of our country and reduce the impact of the virus on our society and on our economy. We have now declared a national state of disaster in terms of the Disaster Management Act...Following an extensive analysis of the progression of the disease worldwide and in South Africa, Cabinet has decided on the following measures..." Read more
Dr Zweli Mkhize confirms latest COVID-19 cases in South-Africa
15 March 2020
"As of today, 15 March 2020, the total number of confirmed cases is 51. This means that our numbers have increased by 13 since yesterday’s announcement. The breakdown per province is as follows..." Read more
Latest confirmed cases of COVID-19 in South Africa
11 March 2020
The Minister of Health wishes to inform the public that 6 new cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed. This takes the total number of coronavirus positive patients in South Africa to 13. Read more
Four more cases of Covid-19 identified in South Africa - News24 (Extract from the media briefing by Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize
9 March 2020
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in South Africa has increased to seven, Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize confirmed on Monday. Mkhize announced that four more people, who were part of the group of 10 who went on a ski trip to Italy, have tested positive for Covid-19. Included is a 38-year-old woman in KwaZulu Natal, her partner, a 45-year-old man, and a 38-year-old man.
The four have identified 65 people they have been in contact with who would be tested and monitored, according to Mkhize. Read more
Third confirmed case of COVID-19 in SA
8 March 2020
"Fellow South Africans, an announcement was made yesterday confirming the second case of COVID-19 in South Africa. In that statement, we indicated that the second patient is a direct contact of the first. We further indicated that they were a group of 10 people who had travelled to Italy.
We confirm that we traced all 10 of these individuals. Nine of them had returned to South Africa. The tenth did not and is therefore not in our country. This morning we have received results of the direct contact of the first patient, his wife. She had also travelled with him to Italy as part of the group of ten. I now wish to advise the public that she has tested positive for COVID-19 and is therefore the third confirmed case in South Africa..." Read more
Confirmation of second case of COVID-19 in SA
7 March 2020
The Minister of Health wishes to advise all South Africans that a second case of COVID-19 has now been confirmed in South Africa. Read more
The first case of COVID-19 Coronavirus reported in SA
5 March 2020
This morning, Thursday March 5, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases confirmed that a suspected case of COVID-19 has tested positive. Read more