As Women’s Month draws to a close, recent data provides a snapshot of gender representation in local government. In 2021, South Africa’s municipal workforce numbered 282 286 individuals. Of these, 13 492 were senior-level posts, which include directors and managers.1 Women occupied 5 312 (or 39%) of these senior-level positions, according to Stats SA’s latest Non-financial census of   read more »

New data released by Statistics South Africa shows that household crimes such as housebreaking, home robbery and theft of motor vehicles experienced in the twelve months preceding the interview increased compared to 2021/22. Crimes experienced by individuals have also increased, except for consumer fraud and hijacking of motor vehicles, which dropped in 2022/23. According to   read more »

Annual consumer inflation slumped to 4,7% in July from 5,4% in June. This is the lowest reading since July 2021, when the rate was 4,6%. Consumer prices increased on average by 0,9% between June 2023 and July 2023. This is up from the monthly rise of 0,2% recorded in both May and June. Transport taps the brakes on   read more »

South Africa celebrates Women’s Month in August. 9 August commemorates the women’s march of 1956, a protest against the extension of Pass Laws to women, which sought to control rather than empower them. The 2023 theme for Women’s Month, ‘Accelerating Socio-Economic Opportunities for Women’s Empowerment’, calls for the heightening of socio-economic programs and activities across   read more »

If you’ve missed any recent economic data from Stats SA, we’ve got you covered. Here is a quick rundown of what you need to know. These cities rule our manufacturing industry It’s not often that industry data are published for districts. Detailed spatial data require large surveys with large samples, which can be expensive. That   read more »

There are two reasons to be excited about two recent manufacturing reports. First, covering the results of a detailed 2021 survey, the reports provide provincial- and district-level data. Second, they offer detailed insight into the state of the manufacturing industry in South Africa in terms of employment, finances, and the quantities of manufactured products. The   read more »

Annual headline inflation cooled to 5,4% in June from 6,3% in May, sinking below the upper limit of the South African Reserve Bank’s monetary policy target range. The last time inflation was below 6% was in April 2022. The rate in June is the lowest reading in 20 months (since October 2021) when the rate was 5,0%. The   read more »

A wide range of indicators inform municipal financial health. In 2014, National Treasury published a uniform set of financial norms and ratios for local government.1 Stats SA recently published data that can be used to inform these norms. In the examples below, we explore how municipalities fare in terms of remuneration and contracted services. Paying   read more »

Stats SA published 26 statistical releases in June, shedding light on the current state of the economy. SA narrowly averts recession The month began with the release of the latest gross domestic product (GDP) figures. After faltering in the fourth quarter of 2022, the South African economy expanded by 0,4% in the first quarter of   read more »

One of the important tasks of national government is to redistribute funds, mainly received from taxes, to other sectors of the economy. These transfers serve a financial lifeline to diverse groups which includes households, public corporations, local and international organisations, and other levels of government. Key areas of spending On the revenue side, national government   read more »