South Africa reports 3,250 new COVID-19 cases

South Africa reported 3,250 new coronavirus cases in a single day, pushing the number of confirmed infections to 775,502, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize announced late Wednesday.

"Regrettably, in the last 24 hours, 118 deaths have been reported. We extend our condolences to love ones of the departed and thank health care workers that treated the deceased patients," Mkhize said.

The total number of people in the country who have now died from COVID-19 related illnesses is 21,201.

COVID-19 cases have been on the rise in South Africa for the past week, with the number of new daily cases reported ranging between 2,000-3,000.

South Africa has the highest COVID-19 case numbers on the continent and is the 16th most affected country globally.

The Health Ministry has tested 5.3 million people since the virus was first detected in the country eight months ago, with nearly 30,000 tests undertaken in the past 24 hours, according to Mkhize.

More than 700,000 patients have recovered from the virus, which translates to a 92.7% recovery rate.