It has taken eight years, but the Department of Basic Education appears to finally be making headway on eradicating pit toilets in public schools. The department should have replaced these toilets with more appropriate sanitation in all schools by 30 November 2016.

Only 287 schools still have pit toilets as their only means of sanitation, according to the latest Education Facility Management System published by the department in July 2024.

The report contains an assessment of the infrastructure in South Africa’s public schools. In 2016, there were 4,986 schools with pit toilets as the only sanitation. This has decreased by 94% to 287 public schools.

The schools that still have pit toilets as their only form of sanitation are in Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape. Pit toilets, as the only form of sanitation, have been eradicated in the schools in the other provinces, the report says.