Ubufazi · Every woman, every province
Clear, checked health information for South African women, what to look out for, when to get screened, and where to go. Free, on any phone.
Find my free screening Cancers A–ZStart where you are
Women arrive with a life situation, not a menu. Pick the one that sounds like today.
A lump, unusual bleeding, pain that will not settle, find out what it may mean and what to do this week.
Start hereYour screening schedule by age, what is free in the public sector, and how to book it.
Start hereUnderstand your stage, your treatment options, and every question to ask your oncologist.
Start hereVerified clinics, breast units and oncology centres, filtered by province and by cost.
Start hereFor partners, daughters, mothers and carers: what helps, what to say, where to get support.
Start hereEmployer toolkits, workplace screening drives, and the HPV vaccination programme for Grade 5 learners.
Start hereThe evidence
Verified against the WHO Global Cancer Observatory and the National Cancer Registry. Every figure carries its source, its date, and a named clinical reviewer.
Live figures · updated 20 August 2026
| Site | Share of female cancers |
|---|---|
| Breast | 23.0% |
| Cervix uteri | 16.5% |
| Colorectal | 6.2% |
| Uterus | 3.6% |
| Ovary | 3.1% |
| Lung | 2.9% |
| All other sites | 44.7% |
Source: National Cancer Registry (NCR/NICD-NHLS). Breast and cervical cancer together account for roughly 4 in every 10 cancers diagnosed in South African women.
| Stage | Public | Private |
|---|---|---|
| Stage 1 | 9% | 24% |
| Stage 2 | 31% | 39% |
| Stage 3 | 38% | 25% |
| Stage 4 | 22% | 12% |
The survival gap in South Africa is largely a stage-at-diagnosis gap. Late presentation, not biology, is what we are fighting.
A breast cancer found at Stage 1 is usually treatable with surgery and a short course of therapy, and roughly nine in ten women are alive five years later. The same cancer found at Stage 4 changes everything. Screening is not paperwork, it is the difference.
See the screening schedule for my ageYour schedule
South African public-sector guidance, in plain language. Free at any public clinic unless marked.
| Check | Start age | How often | Where it is free | Finds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HPV vaccination | Grade 5 (age 9+) | Two doses | Public schools · NDoH programme | Prevents most cervical cancer |
| Pap smear (cervical) | 30 | Every 10 years, 3 free smears | Every public clinic | Pre-cancer, before it is cancer |
| Pap smear if HIV-positive | At diagnosis | Every 3 years | Every public clinic | Higher-risk cervical change |
| Clinical breast exam | 20 | Yearly with a nurse or doctor | Every public clinic | Lumps you may not feel |
| Know-your-normal self-check | 20 | Monthly, at home | Free, always | Change from your baseline |
| Mammogram | 40 (or 10 yrs before a relative’s diagnosis) | Every 1–2 years | Referral-based · medical aid PMB | Tumours years before you feel them |
| Colorectal screening | 45 | Per doctor’s advice | Referral-based | Polyps before they turn |
Guidance reflects South African National Department of Health policy. Your doctor may advise a different schedule if you have a family history, a BRCA variant, or are living with HIV.
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Newsroom
Thousands of Grade 5 girls have received life-saving protection against cervical cancer. Parents are urged to ensure no daughter misses out.
YOUR HEALTH · Prevention & Screening
ReadMore women are coming forward for life-saving screening. Coverage gaps remain in parts of the province.
YOUR HEALTH · Prevention & Screening
Read
New research could improve pregnancy outcomes nationwide by replacing standard iron and folic acid with a comprehensive multi-nutrient supplement.
YOUR HEALTH · Pregnancy & Postpartum
ReadPosters · print · share
Low-data by default. Every poster is small enough to send on WhatsApp.
Poster container · contained, never cropped, so no wording is ever lost.
Ubufazi Magazine · Issue 08
Cover story, life-stage focus, expert Q&A, real women, and the tools page you can tear out. Free on the web, as a PDF, by email, and on WhatsApp.
Read this issue Download PDF (1.8 MB)Low-data edition available, 380 KB, text-first, works on 2G.
Save 060 000 0000 and send START. Choose your journey: BREAST, CERVICAL, SCREENING or SUPPORT. Reply STOP any time, one word, and we never message you again.
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One short email a month: what to check, when to check it, and where it is free. Plus the Ubufazi magazine.