IMPROVING LIVES THROUGH DATA ECOSYSTEMS

Freedom Day is a public holiday in South Africa celebrated on 27 April each year. On this day in 1994, South Africa had the first national and non-racial elections where South African citizens of voting age of over 18 years from any race group were allowed to vote. Previously, under the apartheid government, non-whites in general had only limited rights to vote while indigenous black South Africans had no voting rights. Freedom Day also commemorates the heroes and heroines who fought against colonialism and apartheid, many of which served years in prison during the liberation movement. After 25 years since South Africa had its first national and free elections, South Africans will once again cast their votes on 8 May 2019. Eligible voters can go to a local voting station at which they are registered in order to make their mark on the national and provincial ballot papers. For those who will be out of town on election day, they can visit any voting station, however, they will only be allowed to make their mark on the national ballot paper and not the provincial one. The President of South Africa, Cyril
Ramaphosa declared 8 May 2019 as a public holiday and encourages citizens to use the day to exercise their right to vote. In this month’s issue of Mbalo Brief, our educational article is based on Higher education and skills in South Africa, with a focus on individuals aged 18–24, their attendance of educational institutions, participation in postschool education and higher education attainment. Also have a look at our
monthly crossword and solutions for the March 2019 puzzle. Articles published in this issue are based on results of industry surveys
conducted for the months ranging from January to February 2019.

Download Mbalo Brief – April 2019