Cloete said 42% of those who recently tested positive for Covid-19 reported contracting the virus at a social event or through socialising with a friend, while 35% said family members were to blame.
Hospitalisation, mortality and test-positivity were all increasing, although excess deaths compared to previous years remained stable.
On Wednesday, 752 people were being treated in acute-care hospitals for Covid-19, up from a low of 476 on September 30.
Cloete said small infection clusters were appearing in suburbs such as Pinelands which did not have significant outbreaks during the first Covid-19 wave early this year.
Western Cape premier Alan Winde and health MEC Nomafrench Mbombo said they were concerned about the increase in Covid-19 infections and appealed to the public to remain vigilant.
TimesLIVE