South African Health Minister Joe Phaahla said on Friday the country could manage the fourth Covid-19 wave of infections driven by the Omicron variant without invoking stricter lockdown restrictions.

"We can manage this fourth wave, we can manage Omicron. The basic tools we all know. We can still have a reasonably successful festive season," he told a media briefing.

Omicron, which has raised global fears of a surge in infections, was first detected in southern Africa last month.