From week 1 to week 37 of 2025, national measles surveillance has detected an increase in measles cases. As of 12 September 2025, a total of 1,019 laboratory-confirmed measles cases have been reported, with 588 cases in Gauteng province, 139 in Limpopo, 131 in Free State and 72 in Mpumalanga.
Since the last update in epidemiological week 36, 33 new measles cases were reported in the Western Cape, 14 in Gauteng, 3 in Limpopo and 4 in Mpumalanga. The reported measles infections were mainly in children aged 1-14 years (820/1019, 80.5%), with an increase in laboratory-confirmed cases in people aged 15 years and above in Gauteng, Free State and Limpopo. Any person who has never been infected with measles or has not received the measles vaccine is at risk of having measles virus infection.
Update on the measles outbreak in South Africa
Gauteng province measles outbreak updates
Gauteng province continues to report a high number of cases, with 588 laboratory-confirmed cases reported from epi-week 1 to 37 of 2025. The majority of the laboratory-confirmed cases were reported in the metropolitan areas, with the distribution of cases as follows: City of Johannesburg (142), City of Tshwane (296), Ekurhuleni (127), Sedibeng (20), and West Rand (3), with 457/588 (77.7%) cases being children below 15 years, including 92 cases amongst children below 1 year.
Free State province measles outbreak update
No new cases were reported in week 37 in Free State province. There were 131 cases reported from epi-week 1 to 36 of 2025, with 98/131 (74.8%) cases being children aged 1-14 years. Measles surveillance should be strengthened, and supplementary immunisation activities for measles immunisation should be extended to areas previously not included in the measles vaccination campaign to prevent transmission of the infection to new areas.
Limpopo province measles outbreak update
In Limpopo province, 139 laboratory-confirmed measles cases have been reported from epi-week 1 to epi-week 37, with children aged 1-14 years (111/139; 79.9%) being the most affected. From epi-week 27, Limpopo province reported an increase in the number of laboratory-confirmed cases in the Vhembe District Municipality, with 124 cases reported as of the end of epi-week 37. The measles outbreak is currently affecting the Musina Local Municipality in the northern part of Limpopo.
Mpumalanga province measles outbreak update
In Mpumalanga province, 72 laboratory-confirmed measles cases have been reported from epi-week 1 to week 37, with 58/72 (80.6%) cases being children aged 1-14 years. From epi-week 26 to week 37, there was an increase in laboratory-confirmed cases in Nkangala District Municipality, with 56 laboratory-confirmed cases reported, and no new laboratory–confirmed measles cases were reported in epi-weeks 36 and 37 in Gert Sibande District Municipality.
Western Cape province measles outbreak update
No new cases of measles were reported in Western Cape province in epi week 37. Western Cape province reported 33 laboratory-confirmed measles cases, with 19 cases reported from epi-week 34 to 36 of 2025.
Recommendations for public health interventions
- Measles awareness should be intensified in areas with localised outbreaks in order to alert the communities about the outbreaks and the prevention of the disease.
- Parents should be encouraged to vaccinate their children to protect them against measles infections.
- Parents whose children have missed their scheduled routine measles immunisation vaccine doses are encouraged to take their children for a measles vaccine catch-up dose.
- Measles surveillance should be strengthened nationally to improve case reporting and contact tracing.
- Provinces are urged to conduct measles risk assessment and continue with targeted or supplementary measles immunisation activities or campaigns in areas with low measles coverage and high numbers of children who have either never received vaccines (zero dose areas) or are under vaccinated (children who received one instead of the recommended two measles vaccine doses)
- Public awareness efforts must be intensified to address vaccine hesitancy by engaging with all relevant stakeholders in the affected communities
- Clinicians should report the suspected measles cases and collect blood specimens for laboratory confirmation, and also report patients who develop measles signs and symptoms using the NMC Surveillance System.
- Strengthening routine immunisation services and launching a mass vaccination campaign targeting children up to 15 years of age is also recommended.
Relevant resources, including the case definition, investigation form, and surveillance results, are available on the NICD measles page and the measles-rubella dashboard.
