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The National Sea Rescue Institute says it recorded 31 drownings across South Africa this past festive season.
Of the 31 drownings reported between the 1st of December 2014 -14th of January -- 12 were children.
NSRI officials also rescued more than 150 people, and assisted 40 boats.
The Institute's Cleeve Robertson says there were also fewer drownings this year because of rip currents.
"Drownings are under-reported in South Africa, and the ones that we respond to is not the total. We are actually trying to look at national drowning statistics to see how many inland drownings there are. In summer a lot of kids swim in inland dams, and we don't think a lot of them get reported" he said.
