Focus on Africa
Are more women delaying motherhood?
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23 January 2026
23 minutes
Available for over a year
Around the world, more women are choosing to delay motherhood. In countries like Italy, Spain and South Korea, the average age of first-time mothers has risen to around 32. While many African countries still have some of the youngest ages of first-time mothers - a shift is also happening in parts of continent. So, what’s behind this change?
Focus on Africa: The Conversation host, Nkechi Ogbonna spoke with Vanessa Tloubatla, from South Africa, who became a mother at the age of 46; and Barbara Mugeni from Uganda who had her third child at the age of 45.
Presenter: Nkechi Ogbonna
Producers: Carolyne Kiambo and Fana Negash
Technical Producer: Maxwell Onyango
Senior Producer: Priya Sippy
Editors: Samuel Murunga and Maryam Abdalla
