Changing fuel prices affect us all. With the recent downward trend in prices seemingly coming to an end, South Africans are again left wondering how the petrol price will affect their pockets. Consumer inflation data released today1 provide an indication of the impact that the recent period of low petrol prices had on the cost   read more »

‘Poverty – and its common consequences such as malnutrition, homelessness, poor housing and destitution – is a major contributor to vulnerability.’ This is according to the World Health Organization. Many children in South Africa find themselves in such vulnerable situations. Some are orphans (children whose both biological parents have passed away), while others reside in   read more »

Media Release 12 March 2015   Education Series I: Focus on schooling in Limpopo report  gives details on the status of schooling in Limpopo About 97,9% of Limpopo residents between the ages of 7 and 18 years were attending some form of educational institution in 2013, up from 95,1% in 2002. This is according to   read more »

Monthly gold production reached a new monthly low in January, according to data released by Stats SA1. Although a number of temporary factors might have contributed to the unusually low level, general historical trends show that gold has lost the prominent place it once had in the South African economy. Stats SA has published comparable   read more »

Less electricity was generated in South Africa in January 2015 compared with January 2014, according to preliminary results. The volume of electricity produced fell by 1,5%. The volume of electricity available for distribution also decreased, falling by 1,3% year-on-year. Electricity production dropped by 1,5% from 21 090 GWh (gigawatt-hours) in January 2014 to 20 769 GWh January   read more »

Headline producer inflation, which measures the change in prices of final manufactured goods, has continued to decline. The annual rate fell to 3,5% in January 2015, down from 5,8% in December 2014 and a peak of 8,8% in April 2014. Falling prices for coal and petroleum products continued to drive producer inflation down, while higher   read more »

South Africa’s economy grew by 1,5% in 2014, down from 2,2% in 2013, according to preliminary estimates of real gross domestic product (GDP) released by Stats SA. Eight of the ten industry groups experienced some growth during the year, while two industries shrank in size. The industry that grew the fastest in 2014 was agriculture1,   read more »

There were 127 032 non-profit institutions (NPIs) in 2014, according to a report released by Stats SA. Sourcing data from the Department of Social Development (DSD), the report offers an overview of the non-profit sector in South Africa, providing information on the various roles in which NPIs are involved, their income sources, and what they spend   read more »

Business was more favourable during the recent Christmas season when compared with December 2013, with retail sales increasing by 3,4% in real terms. However, despite better sales during the festive period, the longer-term pattern reveals a slowdown in growth over the last three years. After falling by 3,2% in real terms in 2009 (largely the   read more »

Annual CPI inflation dropped to 4,4% in January 2015 from 5,3% in December 2014, the lowest since April 2011, when the CPI stood at 4,2%. Key drivers pulling the CPI down were petrol and food. The 127c/l drop in the price of petrol in January further contributed to the decline in the CPI for petrol,   read more »