IMPROVING LIVES THROUGH DATA ECOSYSTEMS

Summer is here and it’s time once again for the tourist high season. For those in the tourism industry, it is the busiest time of the year with tourists from around the globe flocking to South African shores to enjoy our beautiful beaches, the African sun and the many attractions that South Africa has to   read more »

Does that braai pack feel a bit expensive? If you’ve recently noticed a rise in meat prices, then you’re not alone. Let’s take a closer look at that, as well as other items in the consumer price index with inflation higher than South Africa’s inflation target of 3–6% that is used for monetary policy. In   read more »

It’s hard to believe. It goes against what we often hear. Whether chatting with friends around the braai or debating with family at the dinner table, almost everyone has a story to tell about their own experiences with rising prices. Surprisingly, data show that there are in fact items that are cheaper now than they   read more »

More bad news looms for job-seekers as the formal non-agricultural sector of the economy reported a decline of 34 000 jobs for the quarter ended June 2017. This is according to the latest Quarterly Employment Statistics (QES) report released by Statistics South Africa. The QES data tracks changes in employment at the establishment level, and thus   read more »

If you’re dreaming of one day purchasing a holiday home somewhere on the coast, and space is important to you, Durban might be the best option. On the other hand, if property costs are your main concern, Port Elizabeth or East London might be places to consider. Stats SA takes a dive into building statistics   read more »

After two consecutive quarters of decline, the South African economy spluttered back to life in the second quarter of 2017. Positive contributions to higher economic activity across most industries – in particular agriculture, finance and mining – lifted the gross domestic product (GDP) by 2,5% quarter-on-quarter (seasonally adjusted and annualised). Agriculture continued to show strong   read more »

It goes without saying that the natural environment is extremely important to our well-being. Take our rivers and wetlands, for example. The South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), together with Stats SA and other departments, published a document in 2015 outlining the health of the country’s river and wetland systems. The data do not provide   read more »

Recent data released by Stats SA show that public-sector capital expenditure has risen over the last five years, from a total of R203 billion in 2012 to R284 billion in 2016; an average rise of 8,7% per year. Over R1,2 trillion was spent during this five-year period. Well-maintained infrastructure facilitates trade, improves connectivity, attracts investment,   read more »

Stats SA’s most recent release of its Non-financial census of municipalities (NFCM)1 report shows an increase in the number of indigent households across the country. South Africa’s 278 municipalities registered 3,56 million indigent households in 2016, the highest number on record since figures were first published by Stats SA in 2004. To put it into   read more »

The formal business sector, excluding agriculture and banking, generated R2,34 trillion in income during the first quarter of 2017, for the months of January, February and March. On average, that’s R300 560 of income generated every second over that 90-day period. You might be thinking that’s quite a hefty amount. You might catch yourself imagining the   read more »