IMPROVING LIVES THROUGH DATA ECOSYSTEMS

How are provincial governments using your tax money? Stats SA’s latest Financial Statistics of Provincial Government report describes the spending patterns of provincial government. Where do provinces get their money from? Mostly, from our tax contributions. Financial statements from 124 provincial government departments show that provincial governments sourced R429,9 billion in revenue in 2013/14. R415,7   read more »

10 September 2015 Media Release In 2014, there were 2,2 million volunteers compared to 1,3 million in 2010, constituting an increase of about 898 000 volunteers. The country’s volunteer rate increased by 2,1 percentage points to 5, 8% in 2014. The number of volunteered hours increased from the 419,2 million in 2010 to 610,4 million in   read more »

10 September 2015 Media Release There was a general pattern of decline in domestic tourism over the past two years, 2013 and 2014 with the total number of day trips decreasing from 54, 4 million in 2013 to 48 million in 2014. This is according to the Domestic tourism survey 2014 report released by Statistics   read more »

Manufacturing production increased by 5,6% year-on-year in July 2015, driven mostly by a 39,6% year-on-year production rise in the automotive industry and a 17,4% year-on-year rise in the metals and machinery industry. It would be tempting to rejoice in response to these pronounced increases, but the figures don’t tell the whole story. These increases do   read more »

The bucket toilet system remains a persistent phenomenon in seven of the nine provinces, despite measures to eradicate it. Where are bucket toilets still in use? And is South Africa succeeding in reducing its usage? Data from Stats SA’s latest Non-financial census of municipalities provides some insight into these questions. Eastern Cape boasts largest decrease   read more »

More basic services are being extended to municipalities’ constituencies, but fewer of these services are being provided for free.   This is according to the 2014 annual Non-financial census of municipalities report, which provides municipal data on various services (i.e. electricity, water, sewerage and sanitation, and solid waste management), details on indigents, and information on   read more »

The seasonally adjusted real GDP at market prices for the second quarter of 2015 decreased by an annualised rate of 1,3 per cent compared with an increase of 1,3 per cent during the first quarter of 2015. The main contributors to the decrease in economic activity for the second quarter of 2015 were the manufacturing   read more »

South Africa’s economy contracted by 1,3% (seasonally adjusted and annualised) in the second quarter of 2015, according to preliminary estimates of real gross domestic product (GDP) released by Stats SA. The quarter-on-quarter decrease in overall economic activity was characterised by five of the ten main industry groups shrinking in size, while the other five experienced   read more »

Hotel occupancy fell to 48,2% in June 2015, according to preliminary figures in Stats SA’s latest Tourist accommodation release. The hotel occupancy rate followed a seasonal pattern by falling in June after peaking in both October (62,4%) and February (60,6%)1. However, hotels had proportionally fewer rooms filled in June compared with the same month in   read more »

Stats SA’s latest extra-budgetary accounts (EBA) statistical release contains economically and functionally classified financial data on 233 funds for the 2013/14 fiscal year. EBAs do not operate through normal parliamentary budgetary processes, but they perform an integral role in delivering services of the national government. Some examples of EBAs include the South African Revenue Service,   read more »