Empty stomachs, empty classrooms: Investment in school feeding schemes The South African government spent R8,4 billion in 2022/23 on its nationwide school feeding scheme. Recent data provides a provincial breakdown, as well as how this spending has shifted over the years. South Africa’s school-nutrition programme In 1994, the South African government established the National School Nutrition   read more »

In 2022/23, 19 418 reported cases of common assault and assault with GBH crimes were committed against children, making up about 45,0% of all reported crimes against children in this period. Rape was the most reported crime against children, accounting for 38,3% of all cases involving minors. Although the number of incidents has decreased, it   read more »

According to the Quarterly Employment Statistics (QES, Q2:2024) survey released by Statistics South Africa (Stats SA), total employment in the formal non-agricultural sector increased by 42 000 in the second quarter of 2024, bringing the level of employment to 10,7 million. According to the survey 144 000 jobs were lost between June 2023 and June 2024.   read more »

Consumer inflation slowed for a third consecutive month, cooling to 4,4% in August from 4,6% in July. This is the lowest inflation print since April 2021 when the rate was also 4,4%. Lower annual rates were recorded for several product groups, most notably transport, housing, and restaurants & hotels. In contrast, inflation for food & non-alcoholic   read more »

According to the Recorded Live Births data released by Statistics South Africa, a total of 932 138 births were registered with the Department of Home Affairs in 2023. Of these, 848 337 (91,0%) were for births that occurred in 2023, while 83 801 (9,0%) were late registrations of births from previous years. This distinction between   read more »

The South African economy strengthened by 0,4%1 in the second quarter (April–June) of 2024. The finance, manufacturing, trade, and electricity, gas & water supply industries drove most of the economy’s momentum on the production (supply) side. On the expenditure (demand) side, household consumption, government consumption and a build-up in inventories contributed favourably to growth. Seven   read more »

The latest set of economic indicators paint a preliminary picture of economic performance in the second quarter (April–June). The quarter in a nutshell Several sectors enjoyed positive gains in the second quarter of 2024 compared with the first quarter of 2024. These include manufacturing, electricity generation, construction (buildings reported as completed to larger municipalities), wholesale   read more »

A picture can tell an intricate story. The graphic below speaks for 257 public institutions. Figure 1 shows the distribution of revenue across South Africa’s extra-budgetary accounts and funds (EBAs). In the 2022/23 financial year, EBAs received or generated R390,2 billion in revenue, according to the latest data. EBAs play a significant role in the financial management   read more »

This year’s Women’s Month, marked by the theme “Celebrating 30 Years of Democracy Towards Women’s Development,” serves as a powerful reminder of the strides women have made since the dawn of our democracy. The theme not only highlights the achievements and contributions of women across various sectors but also underscores the ongoing challenges that need   read more »

Statistics South Africa’s Governance, Public Safety, and Justice Survey (GPSJS) 2023/24 reveals a decline in the sense of safety among individuals walking in their neighbourhoods during the day and at night since 2019/20. Respondents were asked how safe they felt walking in their neighbourhoods alone during the day and when it was dark. The sense   read more »