A health worker tests for malaria at a mobile clinic in Kampata, Nsanje district, Malawi in the wake of Cylone Ana. (Angela Jimu/Majority World/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
- Gauteng has recorded 414 malaria cases and 11 deaths in the first three months of 2026 – nearly double the cases during the same period last year.
- Health authorities have said the surge is most likely due to heavy rainfall and flooding, which create conditions for mosquitoes.
- Most Gauteng cases are “imported” infections, with people contracting malaria in endemic areas such as Limpopo, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi, before returning to Gauteng.
Malaria cases in South Africa have spiked following heavy rains and flooding, leading to a surge in cases in Gauteng, a province in which malaria is not endemic.
The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) said that there had been an increase in malaria cases “following unusually heavy rainfall and recent flooding”, which created favourable conditions for mosquito breeding and malaria transmission.
In South Africa, malaria transmission is mainly confined to the low-altitude areas of KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, and Mpumalanga. Provinces such as Gauteng are not considered malaria-endemic, although cases can occur there.
“Recent heavy rains and flooding across the region have increased malaria risk in endemic provinces in South Africa. For example, Mpumalanga alone reported more than 300 cases in January 2026, while neighbouring malaria-endemic countries have also seen a rise in infections. These conditions highlight the importance of heightened awareness, especially during and after the rainy season,” said NICD spokesperson Vuyo Sabani.
The Gauteng Department of Health (GDoH) said that there had been a “sharp rise in malaria cases and related deaths across the province”.
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“Recent surveillance data indicate a worrying rise in both malaria infections and fatalities, underscoring the urgent need for strengthened surveillance, early detection, and prompt treatment to prevent loss of life,” said the department.
From January to the end of March, the department recorded 414 confirmed cases and 11 deaths. During the same period in the previous year, it recorded 230 cases and one death.
Over the entire last year, there were 666 malaria cases and seven deaths recorded in Gauteng.
“This upward trend signals heightened transmission risk, particularly in the early months of the year after the festive season, when many residents travel to malaria-endemic regions, increasing their exposure and risk of infection upon their return, particularly if they have recently travelled to malaria-endemic areas such as Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Malawi,” the department said.
However, Sabani said:
While these figures are concerning and require increased public awareness and prompt healthcare action, most of these cases are imported. This means the infections were acquired in the malaria-endemic regions of Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and KwaZulu-Natal provinces, or through international travel to malaria-endemic locations, and diagnosed after individuals returned to the Gauteng province.
In areas like Gauteng, where malaria-transmitting mosquitoes do not occur, people infected with malaria cannot transmit malaria to others, stressed Sabani.
Malaria is both preventable and treatable, but it can progress rapidly to severe illness and death if diagnosis and treatment are delayed.
“Travellers to malaria-endemic areas should take preventive measures seriously, including the use of appropriate malaria chemoprophylaxis for moderate- to high-risk destinations. Anyone who develops flu-like symptoms such as fever, chills, headache, body aches, or fatigue after recent travel to a malaria-endemic area – whether within South Africa or elsewhere in Africa – should seek medical attention immediately and request a malaria test,” said Sabani.
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News24 previously reported that medical experts had raised concerns over flooding in Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and KwaZulu-Natal at the start of the year. They said the conditions could trigger outbreaks of diarrhoeal diseases, infections, and malaria.
The SA Medical Research Council (SAMRC) raised the alarm over “significant health risks” posed by the floods, particularly for vulnerable communities already facing stretched health services.
Professor Caradee Wright, chief specialist scientist at the SAMRC’s Environment and Health Research Unit, said the most pressing concern was the increased risk of malaria, as standing water creates ideal mosquito breeding conditions in endemic areas such as Limpopo and Mpumalanga.
Professor Rajendra Maharaj, director of the SAMRC’s Office of Malaria Research, said malaria outbreaks could take up to 50 days to manifest, as time is needed for mosquitoes to emerge, transmit the disease, and for parasites to develop in humans.
