The South African Department of Home Affairs brought in new regulations to prevent child trafficking.
Children travelling into the country with both biological parents must travel with:
Valid passport of travelling parent and child
Visa, if required
Birth certificate listing both parents (note: these must be the original documents, or certified copies of the originals).
A child travelling with just one of the parents listed on his or her birth certificate must also present:
Parental consent affidavit not older than 4 months .An affidavit is a signed letter sworn under oath in person before a solicitor or a commissioner for oaths. It costs £5.
A certified copy of the absent parent’s passport attached.
or
Letter of special circumstances issued by director-general of home affairs in the event that a parent or parents are incapacitated or deceased and no legal guardian has been appointed as yet.
For full details of requirements for travel to South Africa, please see dha.gov.za
This requirement has been in place since June 2015 when the South African Department of Home Affairs brought in new regulations to prevent child trafficking.
All children under 18 must travel to South Africa with their unabridged birth certificate showing the names of their parents – even if travelling with them. The regulations were introduced to prevent child trafficking
From The Telegraph