President Cyril Ramaphosa
President Cyril Ramaphosa has moved the country to adjusted level 2 from Monday.
As part of the regulations that kick in at midnight, indoor gatherings have been reduced from 250 to 100, outdoor events will now accommodate 250 people instead of 500, or 50% of their capacity if the venue is too small.
On Saturday, the country recorded 4 519 new Covid-19 cases.
The curfew now starts at 23:00 and ends at 04:00.
Funerals will only be allowed to have 100 people in attendance and should only go on for only two hours. Night vigils are still not allowed.
Restaurants, bars and gyms will close by 22:00 so workers can travel home.
Covid-19 cases have been rapidly rising in the country. Department of Health data showed there was a 17% increase in hospitalisations this week compared to the week before.
When announcing the adjusted lockdown level, Ramaphosa said the North West, Free State, Gauteng and Northern Cape were in a third wave.
He added the rise in cases was because of people not following non-pharmaceutical interventions and attending social events.
"Because rates of infections have been low for some time and we are all suffering from pandemic fatigue, we tend to be complacent. As a result, cases are surging again."
Ramaphosa said restrictions would ensure that hospitals were not overwhelmed as new cases rose.
"It remains mandatory for every person to wear a mask that covers their nose and mouth at all times. It should be remembered it is a criminal offence to not do so."
He added the third wave and its severity would be determined by how the public behaved.
"The severity of this third wave will be largely be determined by the amount of contact each of us has with other people. That means each of us has to think of each and every person we come in contact with each day and limit those. The less we travel and move around, the less the virus will spread."