IMPROVING LIVES THROUGH DATA ECOSYSTEMS

Stats SA published 21 statistical releases in the month of May, providing valuable insight into the current state of our economy. Here is a brief rundown of important indicators. Inflation edged lower in April Despite the ongoing stresses of rising prices and escalating costs of debt, there were some hopeful signs from the latest inflation   read more »

The groups that are most susceptible to economic hardship are experiencing large increases in the cost of living, according to the latest inflation data. Together with the headline consumer price index (CPI), Stats SA publishes inflation rates for each province, for ten different income groups and for pensioners. The basket for each of these indices   read more »

Annual consumer inflation slowed to 6,8% in April from 7,1% in March. This is the lowest reading since May 2022, when the rate was 6,5%. The monthly change in the consumer price index (CPI) was 0,4% in April 2023. Food and non-alcoholic beverages Annual inflation for food and non-alcoholic beverages eased to 13,9% in April from 14,0%   read more »

After a drastic drop in tourist arrivals in 2020 and 2021, the volume of tourist arrivals in South Africa is showing improvement. The Tourism 2022 report released by Statistics South Africa shows that the volume of tourists dropped by 72,6% from 10 228 593 in 2019 to 2 802 320 in 2020 and declined by 19,5% between 2020 and   read more »

South Africa’s unemployment rate in the first quarter of 2023 was recorded at 32,9 %, and is among the highest in the world. According to the Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS), this is an increase of 0,2 of a percentage point compared to the fourth quarter of 2022. While the unemployment rate may be high,   read more »

In 2022 the estimated population of South Africa included more than five million people aged 60 or older. This represents a 9,2 percent share of the overall South African population. According to a report by Statistics South Africa titled Marginalised Groups Series VI: The Social Profile of Older Persons, 2017–2021, more than half (60,9%) of   read more »

Headline consumer inflation edged higher to 7,1% in March from 7,0% in February and 6,9% in January. The monthly change in the consumer price index (CPI) was 1,0% in March, the most significant monthly rise since July 2022 when it was 1,5%. Food & non-alcoholic beverages and transport were the main drivers behind the annual   read more »

Anecdotes about steep property price rises in the City of 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 City of Cape Town,   read more »

In 2021, about 2,1 million (11,6%) of South African households reported experiencing hunger.   South Africa faces challenges ranging from high unemployment and poverty to the ongoing energy crisis and rising costs of living. These impact negatively on South Africa’s state of food security by making food expensive and inaccessible to many and increasing the   read more »

Water outages across the country have focussed attention on water as a 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 much of the water that flows from our taps. SWSAs can be thought of as   read more »