For years, the world record for the most children delivered at a single birth to survive belonged to Halima Sissè of Mali. In 2021, Halima stunned the world when she gave birth to nine babies who all survived—a medical miracle that drew global attention. But just as her story became legend, another extraordinary claim emerged from South Africa, one that threatened to rewrite history.

Her name was Gosiame Thamara Sithole.

When Gosiame and her husband, Tebogo Tsotetsi, went to the hospital for a routine pregnancy scan, they expected nothing out of the ordinary. The couple already had six-year-old twins, and this pregnancy seemed no different. The first scans showed no signs of twins, triplets, or even quintuplets. Then came the shock: doctors informed Gosiame that she was carrying eight fetuses.

The couple was stunned.

“I joked with my wife on the way to the hospital,” Tebogo later recalled. “I said if you have triplets this time, I would just run away. Who would have thought it would be even more than that?” Despite the fear and uncertainty, Tebogo believed the pregnancy was a blessing. “I know God will help us take care of them,” he said.

But while Tebogo looked ahead with faith, Gosiame struggled with fear. She worried constantly about how eight babies could survive in her womb. Doctors reassured her that her body would expand to accommodate the children, but they also warned her that her pregnancy would require frequent hospital visits and constant monitoring.

The journey was far from easy. At 37 years old, Gosiame developed gestational diabetes. Doctors explained that pregnancy hormones were interfering with her body’s ability to produce and use insulin properly. She was placed on a strict diet to prevent the babies from becoming dangerously overweight.

Still anxious, Gosiame turned to the internet. What she found only deepened her fears. Multiple births involving more than three babies were extremely rare, and pregnancies involving large numbers of babies often ended prematurely, sometimes with devastating outcomes. Her worries led to sleepless nights, rising blood pressure, and endless prayers.

Though doctors repeatedly told her the babies were doing well, Gosiame couldn’t shake the sense that something might go wrong.

As the pregnancy progressed, she began experiencing severe leg pain and difficulty walking. Eventually, Tebogo rushed her to the hospital, where doctors warned that she was at risk of miscarriage—or that the pregnancy might resolve itself naturally without intervention.

At 29 weeks, Gosiame went into labor.

Tebogo drove her to Steve Biko Academic Hospital in Pretoria. Because of COVID-19 restrictions, he was not allowed inside. Gosiame later described the journey as one of the most terrifying moments of her life. Holding her sister’s hand, she prayed continuously from their home in Tembisa all the way to Pretoria.

Her greatest fear was losing her children.

Then, on June 8, 2021, an announcement shocked South Africa—and the world. Local officials stated that Gosiame had given birth not to eight babies, but to ten.

According to reports, she had been admitted the previous morning and underwent a cesarean section in the evening, attended by four doctors and two nurses. Even the medical team was reportedly stunned. Tebogo said he received a message from his wife saying she had delivered six boys and two girls. Later, doctors reportedly discovered a tenth fetus that was underdeveloped.

The babies quickly became known as the “Tembisa 10.”

Donations poured in. The story went viral. International media outlets picked it up, and Guinness World Records took notice. Yet questions soon began to surface. No photographs of the babies were released. Tebogo himself admitted he had not seen them. Even Pretoria News editor-in-chief Piet Rampedi, who claimed to know the couple personally and attend the same church, said he had published the story based solely on messages he received—without physical proof.

As investigations continued, uncertainty clouded the story. With no concrete evidence to confirm the births, the world record remained unchanged.

And so it still belongs to Halima Sissè.

Born and raised in Timbuktu, Mali, Halima had always dreamed of a large family, despite being an only child herself. After marrying army officer Adjudant Kader Arby, she gave birth to a daughter named Souda. Three years later, she became pregnant again—and this time, doctors discovered she was carrying seven babies.

Concerns for her safety and the babies’ survival prompted government intervention. Halima was transferred from Bamako to Casablanca, Morocco, where she was admitted to Ain Borja Clinic at 25 weeks pregnant. Doctors delayed delivery for five weeks to improve the babies’ chances.

When the time came, Halima delivered not seven, but nine babies by cesarean section—five girls and four boys—with the help of a medical team of ten doctors and twenty-five paramedics. The babies spent two to three months in incubators due to their premature birth, but against all odds, they survived.

“They are a gift from God,” her husband said. “He decides what happens.”

Today, the children thrive. They go through dozens of diapers a day and drink kilograms of milk each week. Though the early days were exhausting—constant feedings, sleepless nights, and round-the-clock care—Halima’s nine children defied expectations and became a symbol of resilience and hope.

Until proven otherwise, Halima Sissè remains the woman who achieved the impossible—delivering the most children at a single birth to survive. Her story stands not only as a world record, but as a testament to faith, medicine, and the extraordinary limits of human endurance.