ABSTRACT Childhood lead exposure is increasingly becoming a public health concern in developing and developed countries. Children are particularly vulnerable because of their developing body systems and mouthing behaviours. Recent studies have shown that lead exposure during pregnancy could cause harmful effects in unborn babies, subsequently causing ill health during later childhood. Lead poisoning prevention strategies should address exposures before, during and after pregnancy. To develop an appropriate framework for childhood lead exposure preventive strategies, the knowledge, perceptions, and behaviours of pregnant women in relation to child lead hazards had to be explored. The purpose of this study was to investigate the knowledge, perceptions and behaviours of pregnant women in relation to child lead hazards. To answer the research question, objectives were formulated which were to explore the knowledge of pregnant women regarding the sources and routes of exposure, the health effects of lead and mechanisms to protect children against lead exposure. The study objectives were achieved by administering an exploratory structured questionnaire. A non-probability convenience sample of 119 pregnant women was selected for data collection. Data was analysed using STATA 9.0 software. The results showed that only 13 participants (11%) had heard of lead before and the majority of participants (89%, n=107) had not heard of lead before. Four participants (31%, n=13) did not know if lead could be harmful to the health of children. Nine participants (69%, n=13) however, thought that lead could harm the health of children. Six participants (46%, n=13) did not know the health and social problems that lead exposures could cause in children. High risk factors in the living environment of the study population included informal housing, overcrowded living conditions, flaking and peeling paint, poor hand wash behaviour and smoking. The study concluded that there were low levels of knowledge, lacking perceptions and high-risk behaviours and practices amongst pregnant women in relation to child lead hazards. It further concluded that there were high-risk activities and conditions in the living environment of the studied population.