Real gross domestic product (GDP) contracted by 0,2% in the third quarter of 2023. This followed two consecutive quarters of growth. On the production side of the economy, five of the ten industries recorded weaker results in the third quarter, with agriculture, manufacturing and construction the biggest drags on growth. Explore the latest GDP figures,   read more »

Municipalities that provide services often buy electricity from producers (such as Eskom) and then resell the power to households, businesses and other institutions. Local government spent R50,2 billion on electricity purchases in the first six months of 2023. In turn, they generated R60,0 billion from electricity sales. The R9,8 billion difference between the two represents   read more »

After a two-year hiatus, Stats SA released an experimental set of provincial gross domestic product (GDP) data. Gauteng may be the smallest of the nine provinces in terms of area size, but it has the largest economy. In fact, Gauteng’s economy is larger than the economies of KwaZulu-Natal and Western Cape combined. Explore the latest   read more »

Investments in energy infrastructure were detected in the latest set of gross domestic product (GDP) figures. The demand side of the economy saw a sharp rise in capital spending on machinery & equipment in the second quarter, which included products related to renewable energy. This was reflected by import data, with the country recording an   read more »

Employee costs take up a sizable chunk of municipal spending. Staff remuneration costs accounted for 28% of total municipal expenditure in 2022, according to recent data from Stats SA. The aggregate proportion of 28% falls within the National Treasury norm of 25%‒40%. A more nuanced picture emerges if we map all 257 municipalities. Explore local   read more »

One of the important tasks of national government is to redistribute funds, mainly received from taxes, to other sectors of the economy. A large portion of national government spending was in the form of financial transfers to households, public corporations, organisations and other levels of government. Explore government spending, as well as other stories, in   read more »

The South African economy expanded by 0,4% in the first quarter of 2023, with manufacturing and finance being the major drivers of growth on the supply side of the economy. The demand side was lifted by exports, with smaller positive contributions for household, government, and investment spending. Explore the latest gross domestic product (GDP) figures,   read more »

Anecdotes about steep property price rises in Cape Town are not without merit. Stats SA’s new residential property price index (RPPI) compares how housing prices have increased since 2010 across the eight metropolitan municipalities and nine provinces. Since 2010, residential property prices have grown by 141% in the Mother City. Explore property prices, as well   read more »

Water outages across the country have focussed attention on this vital resource. South Africa is a semi-arid country, with only a few natural source areas for water. These areas, referred to as Strategic Water Source Areas (SWSAs), provide the bulk of the water that flows from our taps. Explore our SWSAs, as well as other   read more »

Consumer inflation hit its highest level in 13 years during 2022, with products recording their own peaks in different parts of the year. Wine, for example, registered its highest annual rate in May, cooling to its lowest reading in August. Fuel peaked in July with headline inflation, and oils & fats peaked one month later.   read more »