IMPROVING LIVES THROUGH DATA ECOSYSTEMS

Acting as intermediaries, municipalities buy electricity from Eskom in bulk and then re-sell it to various customers (including homes, businesses and government). According to the utility, 42% of the electricity it generated in 2013/14 was sold to redistributors, such as municipalities1. Almost a third of income earned by municipalities (R21,9 billion) in the quarter ended   read more »

14 September 2015   Stats SA releases Large Sample Survey reports   The Statistician-General, Mr Pali Lehohla, will release the three following Large Sample Survey reports: 1. Electricity, Gas and Water Supply Industry (2013) – 10h00 The results presented in this publication were derived from the 2013 Electricity, gas and water supply industry large sample   read more »

In April 2015 the acting CEO of Eskom suggested that in order to improve Eskom’s financial situation, that the utility bypass municipalities and supply all customers directly with electricity. How would municipalities be affected if this proposal is adopted? Acting as middle-men, municipalities buy electricity from Eskom in bulk and then re-sell the power to   read more »

The 132,2% year-on-year rise in platinum group metal (PGM) production in March 2015 pushed overall mining production up by 18,8%, the second highest year-on-year increase since January 1980. It would be tempting to celebrate in response to the pronounced rise in PGM production, but a closer look at the data tells a more sober story.   read more »

South Africa’s natural resources in the spotlight The natural environment provides resources that drive the economy and other human activities. Stats SA recently released estimates on the amount of energy, mineral and fishery resources available in South Africa, and the extent to which these are being consumed. The following are three interesting observations from the   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 2014 compared with 2013. Recent data show that national electricity production has been in decline after peaking in 2011, highlighting the country’s continued struggle to keep the lights on. The latest Electricity produced and available for distribution publication, released by Stats SA on Thursday, 5 February 2014,   read more »

In 2013, municipalities increased the supply of sewerage and sanitation services by 6,2%, raising the number of consumer units with access to sanitation facilities from 9,4 million in 2012 to almost 10 million 2013. The number of consumer units receiving other services also increased. Access to water services rose by 3,3% (from 11,4 to 11,8   read more »