IMPROVING LIVES THROUGH DATA ECOSYSTEMS

Education is deemed to be a basic human right but, in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic changed not only the way we live, but also the way we learn. First-time learners were destined to experience learning in a very different way than their predecessors. In South Africa, school closures were announced on 18 March 2020, interrupting   read more »

The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown restrictions in 2020 impacted the finances of higher education institutions. There was a subdued increase in revenue, stifled by a decline in the collection of tuition fees. Higher education institutions spent less money, largely on the back of lower operational costs. Total revenue increased, but only marginally The amount   read more »

Provincial government plays a vital role in the administration of the country’s health and education systems, responsible for providing basic education to learners and healthcare to those in need. These two mammoth tasks take up the bulk of provincial government spending. In the 2019/20 fiscal year, total provincial government expenditure was R628,8 billion. Education was the   read more »

Many nations measure population and economic growth. Until recently, few have paid attention to the natural environment. This week, South Africa reached another milestone in strengthening its production of environmental statistics. As part of South Africa’s drive to account for its natural resources, Statistics South Africa (Stats SA), in collaboration with the South African National   read more »

Education inflation recorded its lowest annual rate in three decades, according to data from Stats SA’s latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) release. Stats SA surveys educational institutions and crèches once a year in March. Education fees increased by 4,1% in 2021. Last year’s rise was 6,4%. Historical data shows that this is the lowest increase   read more »

The old African proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child”, has often been quoted to emphasise what it takes to raise a successful and well-rounded child into adulthood. Raising a child requires attention to their inner and outer growth at every phase of their lives. However, when measuring the overall wellbeing of children,   read more »

According to the Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS), there was an increase of 333 000 in the number of employed persons, an increase of 701 000 in the number of unemployed persons and a decrease of 890 000 in the number of people who are out of the labour force, in the 4th quarter of 2020 compared to   read more »

It has been five years since the #FeesMustFall campaign. Stats SA takes a look at where higher education institutions get their money from, and how these revenue streams have shifted since 2015. The #FeesMustFall campaign began in October 2015 when thousands of students took to campuses across the country to protest rising tuition fees. The   read more »

Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) has released the third and final round of a series of three online web-based surveys to measure the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on individuals in the country. The third round of the survey (Wave 3) focused on migration and education issues for persons residing in South Africa who are   read more »

South Africa’s 26 higher education institutions spent R40 billion on compensation of employees in the 2018 financial year. That represents 61% of total spending1, according to the latest Financial statistics of higher education institutions report. This includes line items such as salaries and wages, pension benefits, medical aid, and bonuses. Higher education spending has been in   read more »