Lead Paint Poisoning South Africa’s Children

Press release, 18 November 2025

New research has found that paint sold by more than 50% of brands tested in Durban contains toxic levels of lead, posing serious health risks to consumers, particularly children. The Department of Health, a regional leader on lead paint policy, has called on manufacturers to urgently remove lead from their products to protect public health.

In the study, Supporting Health Initiatives (SHI) and Lead Exposure Elimination Project (LEEP), an NGO, tested 66 paints from 24 brands sold in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, representing an estimated 50% of the South African market. 50% of the brands sampled sold one or more paints containing levels of lead higher than South Africa’s legal limit of 90 parts per million. Some paints contained more than 300 times this limit. Some brands made ‘lead-free’ or ‘non-toxic’ claims despite their paint containing hazardous levels of lead.

Lead exposure has severe negative health impacts, particularly on children. It causes permanent damage to their brain development, worsening their educational outcomes and future potential. Later in life, lead exposure can cause high blood pressure and heart disease. It can be symptomless or present with mild symptoms such as headaches, fatigue, stomach discomfort or nausea, making it easily missed.

Lead exposure can be caused by various sources, with paint being an important source globally. Lead poisoning from paint and other sources is estimated to affect 7.7 million children in South Africa, costing approximately 17.7 billion USD in lost earnings every year.
SHI and LEEP’s research found hazardous levels of lead in one or more paints sold by 12 brands representing an estimated 30% of the market share in South Africa. Oil-based paints and spray paints sold for home use were found to be toxic. The most harmful paints were typically yellow and red colours.

Robyn Hayes Badenhorst, Founder and Co-Executive Director of Supporting Health Initiatives, said:
“Lead exposure, even at low levels, is a serious risk to human health, especially for children, whose developing brains are particularly vulnerable. Lead in paint is a significant source of exposure, as it can break down into dust and flakes that are easily ingested or inhaled, often unknowingly. This exposure can lead to lifelong cognitive and physical impairments. Reducing lead in paint is one of the most effective ways to protect children from the devastating impacts of lead poisoning.”
The Department of Health has introduced new regulations limiting lead content in paint and similar coating materials to 90 parts per million (ppm). These regulations came into effect on 17 May 2025. The Department of Health is improving enforcement mechanisms, ensuring manufacturers comply with local laws and international safety standards.

Belinda Makhafola, Director of Environmental Health at the Department of Health said:
“Eliminating lead from paint is a top public health priority for South Africa. The evidence clearly shows that lead in paint poses serious risks, particularly to children. We are committed to strengthening enforcement and working with partners like LEEP to support the industry’s transition to safer, lead-free alternatives. The paint study results are concerning and we call on all paint manufacturers to urgently remove lead from their products and comply with the South African legal lead limit of 90 parts per million.”
LEEP is collaborating with the South African Paint Manufacturers’ Association (SAPMA) to raise awareness of this issue. LEEP is offering free technical support to help manufacturers transition to lead-free paint. The Department of Health and LEEP plan to conduct a larger follow-up study to monitor whether lead in paint has been reduced to safe levels.

Tara Benn, Executive Director of SAPMA, said:
“Many South African paint manufacturers have already made the shift to lead-free production, showing that safe, high-quality, and affordable paints can be produced locally. The technology and materials are available, and the transition makes commercial sense: consumers increasingly expect safer products. As the market evolves, companies that continue to use lead risk being left behind. SAPMA encourages all manufacturers to take this step now to protect both their customers and their competitiveness.”

Laura Silovsky, Program Manager at LEEP, said:
“We are eager to support the government of South Africa in strengthening enforcement of the regulations limiting lead in paint and coating materials to safeguard public health. We are also encouraged by the proactive steps SAPMA and its members are taking to ensure the safety of their products. As the global shift toward lead-free paints continues, we invite more manufacturers in South Africa to partner with LEEP. Our no-cost technical assistance is available to help companies reformulate their products, ensuring a safer future for South Africa’s children and families.”

Notes:

  1. For further details, please contact the LEEP team at [email protected] or on +447513 255875.
  2. LEEP is an international NGO that works with policy-makers and industry to end the sale of lead paints. Its mission is to eliminate childhood lead poisoning and improve the health and potential of children worldwide. LEEP is a member of the UN Environment Programme and WHO’s Global Alliance to Eliminate Lead Paint. LEEP is also a founding partner of The Partnership for a Lead-Free Future, the first ever global public-private partnership dedicated to tackling childhood lead exposure in low- and middle-income countries, which is co-organised by UNICEF and USAID. LEEP is currently working in more than 30 countries to eliminate lead paint. More information about LEEP is available at https://leadelimination.org/.
  3. Methodology: In August 2025, LEEP purchased 66 home-use oil-based paint, spray paint and tint products from paint and hardware shops in Durban and Pinetown, KwaZulu-Natal. Where available, three colours from each brand were included. Dried samples of the paints were prepared and shipped to the Wisconsin Occupational Health Laboratory (WOHL). WOHL is accredited by the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) under the US EPA Environmental Lead Laboratory Accreditation Program and participates in the Environmental Lead Proficiency Analytical Testing program. WOHL analysed the samples for total lead content by using the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health 7303 method. The total lead content was reported in parts per million (ppm) dry weight. The methodology is further described in Kambarami et al. (2022) and Siddiqui et al. (2023).

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