President Cyril Ramaphosa has called on South Africans not "to drink so much they injure others" - and put undue pressure on the national health system.

When alcohol sales were legalised on Monday, "we suddenly saw a spike in the utilisation of hospital beds" due to alcohol-related harms, Ramaphosa said.

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Ramaphosa praised the Western Cape government's transformation of the Cape Town International Convention Centre in a 'hospital of hope', and the partnership with the taxi industry, as welcome examples of innovation.

'Crossing the river by feeling our way'

Asked by News24 if he had personally made any mistakes in his leadership of the crisis, Ramaphosa replied: "We are traversing unchartered waters.

Ramaphosa said as leaders, they had been glad to have had South Africans "walking with us", promising the government would try to "minimise the mistakes" and make "more and more correct decisions".