22 August 2013

Stats SA’s General Household Survey (GHS) released today shows improvements in key service delivery sectors, as well as a decline in the perceived quality of these services.

The GHS 2012 report, conducted between July and September 2012, shows an increase in the number of households who had access to piped water, sanitation and electricity, and a decrease in the number of households that uses the bucket toilet system.

However, Stats SA says the improvements in the access to basic services were stained by an increasing dissatisfaction with the quality of services.

Residents in Free State, Mpumalanga and Eastern Cape have consistently remained least satisfied with the quality of water they receive.

The use of refuse removals was highest in Gauteng (89,3%) and Western Cape (87,2%), while lowest in Limpopo (15%).

The GHS provides analysis and tracks key service delivery aspects; including housing, access to electricity and household incomes. The GHS time series tracks the well being of South Africans from 2002.

The importance of social grants to address income poverty is emphasised in the survey. More than 44% of households contain at least one member who received a social grant and 39,5% of households identified social grants as their main source of income.

On public health, the survey shows that more than 71% of South Africans usually visit public clinics and hospitals if they need help.

However, only 79,2% of patients using public health care facilities were satisfied or very satisfied with the services they received compared to 97,1% of users of private health care facilities.

Issued by Statistics South Africa

Sivuyile Mangxamba

Team Leader: Media Relations

012 310 2923

082 886 3707

Email: SivuyileM@statssa.gov.za