IMPROVING LIVES THROUGH DATA ECOSYSTEMS

Credit to the twelve thousand fieldworkers who sang one song that reverberated as they combed the breadth and width of our country singing the song for the Community Survey. In the Free State the song was sung and its echo, guided by the Orange River, unleashed itself into the sandy dunes of the Northern Cape. The song that has become the life blood of our thought processes and input into planning makes our democracy vibrant. The echo followed the underground Molopo River from the Northern Cape touching on the South Africa-Botswana border into the North West where the Kgotla of Boo Ratshidi saluted the song, Kgabo Mokgatla saluted the song. The Platinum belt and the Bafokeng sang in unison as the echo entered the place of Gold, Gauteng where the rhythm was slow and needed some stimulus and as the chorus entered the gateway to the continent, Limpopo, we learnt that this colourful province has been on the Kosha, singing fastest and highest and set a shining example. Mpumalanga like Gauteng were some of the last ox to come into the kraal, dignified and majestic in the slow pace. Fast forward into the massive KwaZulu-Natal, the Zulu rhythm was fast paced, nimble and aggressive only tamed by the floating Indian melodies. The Eastern Cape showed its mettle, where the historically lacklustre region embracing Umtata and surrounds made it amongst the first and excelled as we entered the sixth week. Of course the Mother City also made it as we threw everything to it, vests, socks and all to get the data that helps the nation to define its future.

From April 2015 I addressed a team of men and women of this mighty organisation, causing them to change from paper and pen based plans to electronic based collection. I gave the shortest address, only three minutes and left. I said paper and pencil are gone. Bring a different plan. The mighty organisation rose to the occasion. As we close field enumeration we can affirm that this transformation is our defining moment. It has made data collection faster, cheaper, and bigger. It has professionalised field operations with team StatsSA using digital devices.

The song would hardly be music without the 1.3 million households who opened their doors to team Stats SA. Houses were opened from the undulating hills of KwaZulu-Natal, to the high walls of Cape Town and Johannesburg, the monotonous plains of the Northern Cape.

A smaller team is currently in field, until 16 June, conducting the Evaluation Survey. This survey will inform us how well the main data collection was conducted.

The results of the Community Survey will be released by the end of June 2016. May I thank you one and all for this great effort.

Pali Lehohla is Statistician-General for Statistics South Africa