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Despite a decade of advancing HIV/AIDS treatment policy in South Africa, 20% of people living with HIV (PLHIV) eligible for antiretroviral treatment (ART) remain untreated. To inform universal test and treat (UTT) implementation in South Africa, this analysis describes the rate, timeliness and determinants of ART initiation among newly diagnosed PLHIV. This analysis used routine data from 35 purposively selected primary clinics in three high HIV-burden districts of South Africa from June 1, 2014 to March 31, 2015. Kaplan-Meier survival curves estimated the rate of ART initiation. We identified predictors of ART initiation rate and timely initiation (within 14 days of eligibility determination) using Cox proportional hazards and multivariable logistic regression models in Stata 14.1. Based on national guidelines, 6826 patients were eligible for ART initiation. Under half of men and non-pregnant women were initiated on ART within 14 days (men: 39.7.0%, 95% CI 37.7-41.9; women: 39.9%, 95% CI 38.1-41.7). Pregnant women initiated at a faster rate (within 14 days: 87.6%, 86.1-89.0). ART initiation and timeliness varied significantly by district, facility location, and age, with little to no variation by World Health Organization stage, or CD4 count. Men and non-pregnant women newly diagnosed with HIV who are eligible for ART in South Africa show suboptimal timeliness of ART initiation. If treatment initiation performance is not improved, UTT implementation will be challenging among men and non-pregnant women. UTT programming should be tailored to district and location categories to address contextual differences influencing treatment initiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]