Residents travelling to malaria-endemic areas, particularly in neighbouring countries and border regions, have been urged to take precautions following an increase in malaria cases in Gauteng, with 17 deaths recorded between January and September 2026.
Gauteng Department of Health spokesperson Steve Mabona said the Department was particularly concerned that 15 of the 17 people who died this year had a travel history to countries within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.
Mabona warned that although Gauteng is considered a non-endemic province, residents remain at risk of contracting malaria when travelling to areas where the disease is prevalent.
“The Department is appealing to residents travelling to malaria-endemic areas to visit travel clinics available in the five health districts and take appropriate precautions before and during their journeys,” Mabona cautioned.
He added that the province had been conducting audits of malaria-related deaths to identify contributing factors and strengthen prevention and response measures.
“Healthcare workers across the province receive ongoing training to strengthen their ability to identify suspected malaria cases, particularly because Gauteng is a non-endemic province where the disease may not always be immediately suspected,” he said.
According to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), malaria infections in South Africa are generally acquired in malaria-endemic areas of Limpopo, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal, or through international travel to countries where the disease is prevalent.
Mozambique accounted for approximately 59% of the reported deaths, highlighting the contribution of cross-border travel to Gauteng’s malaria burden.
