The SOSAF 2024 launch, held on 4 February 2025 at Stellenbosch University’s Neelsie Cinema, marked a pivotal moment in South Africa’s gender and caregiving advocacy landscape. Organised under the Oak Foundation project the event unveiled the third edition of the State of South Africa’s Fathers report, a collaborative effort by the Tataokhona Project, Equimundo, and other partners.

The launch featured a compelling keynote address, by Sesame Workshop International South Africa’s MD, Dr. Onyi Nwareni that emphasised the transformative role of both biological and social fathers in children’s lives. It challenged traditional narratives by highlighting that 40.3% of children live with men who are not their biological fathers, compared to 35.6% who do. The address called for a shift from cohabitation to consistent, accountable, and meaningful father-child relationships.

The event included panel discussions, a networking session, and the presentation of key findings from the SOSAF report, which explores caregiving dynamics, gender equity, and the socio-economic realities of fatherhood in South Africa. The launch was supported by a robust social media campaign led by Sesame Workshop South Africa, which also lead chapter 3 on “Fatherhood and early childhood development” and contributed to chapter 8 “Evidence-based parenting programmes for fathers in South Africa” in chapters to the report.

The SOSAF initiative is part of a broader advocacy strategy that includes the Fatherhood Community of Practice, mass media impact evaluations, and community engagement through storytelling and digital platforms. The report and launch have been instrumental in shaping policy conversations and public discourse on fatherhood, caregiving, and gender equity in South Africa.