IMPROVING LIVES THROUGH DATA ECOSYSTEMS

Silvertown is a township in Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape named after all the silver zinc shacks used as housing in the area.

After the Census 2011 place name data was released in the township in April 2013, the media reported Silvertown to be the worst place to live in South Africa.

The census data provides information on the community’s people, households and access to services.

Silvertown in numbers:

• During Census 2011, Silvertown was home to 508 households with an average of 4,5 people per household. 
• The average household size was 3,5 people nationally.
• The number of people living in informal dwellings in Silvertown decreased slightly to 82% from 98% in 1996.
• In 1996, none of the households in Silvertown had access to electricity.
• In 2011, 82% of households used paraffin for lighting and 11% used electricity.
• Nationally, 85% of households had access to electricity. The Eastern Cape had 75%.
• 74% of households access water via a communal tap.
• 48% of persons had no income and 55% were unemployed.
• Very little has changed in terms of 
• toilet access, with a 2% decline in bucket toilet use. This figure is down to 96% from 98% in 1996.
• Nationally, 57% or six in ten households had access to a flush toilet. 

The Port Elizabeth Herald news-paper reported, 100 families are due to be temporarily relocated from June and July 2013.

These families will rebuild their shacks in the new location as they wait for the land in Silvertown to be serviced and houses to be built.

The article states: “This is the first move by the government after the Census 2011 results were released by Stats SA’s Statistician-General, Pali Lehohla.”