The death toll now sits at 50 462.
Gauteng, the Western Cape and the Free State recorded the highest number of daily increases.
“Regrettably, 96 more Covid-19 related deaths have been reported: Eastern Cape 5, Free State 25, Gauteng 27, Kwa-Zulu Natal 17, Limpopo 1, Mpumalanga 2, North West 0, Northern Cape 1 and Western Cape 18,” said Health minister Zweli Mkhize on Thursday.
This is the second consecutive day where all three of these provinces led the pack with the number of fatalities.
Mkhize released the latest stats on the eve of the one-year anniversary since the first case was reported in South Africa.
The country has more than 1.5 million cumulative cases – more than 30 000 of which are still active.
KwaZulu-Natal has the highest number of active cases, followed by the Western Cape and the Free State.
Once at the top of the list, the Eastern Cape now has the least number of active cases with a low of 285.
The recovery rate remains steady at 94.6%.