Media Release                                                                                                                                   29 August 2017

Stats SA on a mission to cut costs, reduce turnaround time as it pilots digital data collection

In a bid to increase the frequency of statistical reports to meet data demands for planning and reduce costs, Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) is migrating from paper-based questionnaires to digital collection methods.

The introduction of Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI) gadgets will also reduce the cost of collecting statistics. To ensure a smooth transition to this new technology, Stats SA is conducting mock surveys in the City of Tshwane. Fieldworkers from Stats SA are visiting about 4800 selected households across the metro.

The pilot testing is aimed at ensuring that there is a smooth transition from the use of paper questionnaires to hand held computers to collect data for household surveys around the country.

The CAPI is the digitised method of data collection that will be used from next year for Stats SA’s household surveys to collect data for the Domestic Tourism Survey (DTS), Quarterly Labour Survey (QLFS), General Household Survey (GHS), Victims of Crime (VOCS),Governance, Public Safety and Justice Survey (GPSJS) and Continuous Population Survey (CPS). The transition from Paper Assisted Personal Interviews (PAPI) to Computer Assisted Personal Interviews (CAPI) method of data collection will ensure that the turnaround time in the statistical processes involved in surveys is minimised.

“We have set ourselves on a critical path to modernise statistical production in this country in order to be flexible and agile to produce quality statistics that is responsive to user needs at an acceptable cost” Dr Pali Lehohla. We would like to appeal to households to continue supporting the organisation as they have done so over the years, by opening their homes for our fieldworkers who will visit the household that were selected in the sample” added Dr Lehohla.

Issued by Statistics South Africa

For media enquires

Lesedi Dibakwane

Director: Media and Public Relations

Tel: 012 310 8578

Cell: 082 805 7088Email: Email: LesediD@statssa.gov.za