Only 31.7% of black South African children live in a household with their biological father. This is according to a new report by Stats SA.
Just over half of Coloured children (defined as people aged 17 and younger) live with their biological father. Eight-in-ten white children live with their fathers and 86.1% of Indian children.
There were also provincial differences with nearly 60% of children in the Western Cape living with their fathers. The North West was the only other province where more than 50% of children lived with their fathers, at 50.8%. The provinces that fared the poorest were the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal where only a quarter of children lived with their male parent.
Studies have shown that the presence of a father in the home, who plays an active role in the child’s life, results in children performing better in school and later in life. Children with an active father in the home are also less likely to engage in problem behaviour.
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