Local media reports says seventeen of the boys died in Eastern Cape province, with two others in the North West and Western Cape.
The Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa (Contralesa) blamed the deaths of the boys on the "lack of of support and resources in programmes aimed at reducing the number of casualties" from the government.
The group's spokesperson said the government should declare initiation-related deaths "a national disaster".
Contralesa says investigations are underway to uncover what what led to the deaths of the young boys.
Eastern Cape co-operative governance and traditional affairs spokesperson Mamkeli Ngam said families should do more to curb the deaths.
"It is not government's responsibility to ensure that people go to the bush, it's a family issue, a parental issue and a community issue working hand-in-hand with traditional leaders," he said.
