Another 616 people have died as a result of Covid-19-related illness, with a total of 21 980 new cases reported.
The recovery rate has also dropped below the 80% mark to 79.5%.
The Eastern Cape bore the brunt again, with 215 people dying.
In the Free State, 27 people died, while 75 succumbed in Gauteng, 72 in KwaZulu-Natal, 11 in Limpopo, 11 in Mpumalanga, five in the North West, four in the Northern Cape and 146 in the Western Cape.
This brings to 32 425 the total number of people who have died.
The latest bulletin also shows that a massive 76 202 tests were conducted since the last report. This brings the cumulative number of tests to 7 043 680, to confirm 1 192 570 cases.
As of today, the total number of confirmed #COVID19 cases is 1 192 570, the total number of deaths is 32 425 and the total number of recoveries is 947 919. pic.twitter.com/KV5RosqYeL
— Dr Zweli Mkhize (@DrZweliMkhize) January 8, 2021
The latest update comes as many countries around the world go into harder lockdowns as the crisis continues.
- Compiled by Jenni Evans