The Department of Health is urging citizens to remain vigilant of mpox symptoms as South Africa experiences a rapid increase in laboratory-confirmed mpox cases in the past few weeks. As of 17 September 2026, the country has recorded 18 confirmed and one probable case, requiring immediate and sustained public cooperation to contain. The majority of cases (15) were reported in the Western Cape, particularly in the City of Cape Town, with 3 in Gauteng and 1 in KwaZulu-Natal. Of concern is that 13 of the total cases were recorded between 13 August and 17 September, suggesting rapid local transmission of this preventable viral infection. All cases range in age from 23 to 50 years, with a median age of 36.5 years, and 18 of them are males with only 1 female. One of the most recent cases involved an individual who travelled to Spain earlier this month and returned to South Africa on 14 September, having undergone testing in Spain after being informed of potential exposure.
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