Southern Africa emerged as a suicide epicentre, dominating the list of African countries with the highest suicide rates, as World Health Organisation data unearthed a regional crisis.

Seven SADC member states rank among the continent's ten worst-affected countries, the latest World Health Organisation estimates show.

The WHO measures suicide rates by the number of deaths per 100,000 people.

Lesotho tops the African rankings with about 87.5 deaths per 100,000 people, followed by Eswatini at 40.5.

Zimbabwe ranks third with 23.6, narrowly ahead of South Africa at 23.5 and Mozambique at 23.2.

The Central African Republic follows at 21.9, while Botswana records 20.5. Côte d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea and Zambia complete the top ten with rates of 20.1, 19.6 and 19.5, respectively.

In contrast, Namibia's suicide rate stands at 8.3 deaths per 100,000 people, placing it well below the regional hotspots and slightly below the global average.

However, inspite of the lower rate, suicide continues to claim hundreds of lives in Namibia.

Statistics released on World Suicide Prevention Day in November 2025 revealed that 542 suicides and 2,937 suicide attempts were recorded during the 2023/2024 reporting period.

South Africa continues to carry one of the heaviest burdens, with an estimated 14,000 suicide deaths each year, reflecting the scale of the crisis in one of Africa's most populous countries.

The WHO cautions that suicide figures should be interpreted carefully because the national rates are shaped by a combination of factors.

These are mental health support, economic pressures, social conditions, cultural and religious influences, access to healthcare, death registration systems and the quality of reporting.

The Southern African regional leaders have previously labelled suicide a "silent killer", saying that reversing the trend requires coordinated actions, including investments in prevention and mental health services.