Key findings: P9115 - Non-financial census of municipalities for the year ended 30 June 2022

The number of consumer units receiving services from municipalities increased between 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 financial years. For the period under review, water showed the highest percentage increase (5,9%), followed by sewerage and sanitation (3,7%), electricity (1,7%) and solid waste management (1,6%).  

The provision of free basic services (FBS) provided to consumer units decreased in all services between the 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 financial years. Differences in the number of consumer units receiving free basic services between 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 were the result of households not renewing their status in 2021/2022 and they were therefore automatically deregistered by their respective municipalities. Furthermore, some households have reached a predefined threshold that made them no longer eligible to receive benefits.

According to 2021/2022 financial year estimates, there were 2,6 million indigent households as identified by municipalities, an increase of 1,8% from 2020/2021 financial year. Of the 2,6 identified indigents, 2,1 million indigent households benefited from the indigent support system on water, while 1,8 million benefited from indigent support on electricity provided by municipalities. Furthermore, 1,9 million indigent households benefited from the indigent support system on sewerage and sanitation and 1,6 million indigent households benefited from the indigent support system on solid waste management.

Bucket toilets provided by municipalities to households decreased by 974 (-2,1%) consumer units from 46 753 to 45 779 between 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 financial years.

The number of people employed by municipalities increased by 10,4%, from 298 938 in 2020/2021 to 330 163 in 2021/2022 (inclusive of funded vacancies).