IMPROVING LIVES THROUGH DATA ECOSYSTEMS

The Investing in African Mining Indaba, the world’s largest mining conference, ended a week ago in Cape Town. Investment promises made at the conference might have a positive impact on the future of the industry. Stats SA takes a look at how mining fared in 2018. Mining had a lacklustre year. Production fell by 1,6%   read more »

The most important month of the year for retail trade is December, when many consumers are on holiday and go Christmas shopping. But December 2018 was a tough month for retail in South Africa. The volume of sales fell by 1,4% year-on-year, which was the first negative annual growth rate since February 2017. The poor   read more »

South Africa’s unemployment rate decreased by 0,4 of a percentage point to 27,1% in the 4th quarter of 2018 compared to the 3rd quarter of 2018 according to the latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey released by Statistics South Africa. The working-age population increased by 149 000 or 0,4% in the 4th quarter of 2018 compared   read more »

The manufacturing industry rebounded in 2018, recording its highest annual growth rate in five years. The food and beverages and automotive divisions were the major drivers behind the rise. However, manufacturers in communication equipment, electrical machinery and clothing failed to perform. Manufacturing production increased by 1,2% in 2018 compared with 2017, according to Stats SA’s   read more »

When Stats SA published data in 2018 showing that one in every 22 working South Africans are employed in the tourism sector, it also provided additional tables showing how the tourism workforce is structured. For the inquiring mind, these lesser-known tables on employment appear in the second half of the latest Tourism Satellite Account for   read more »

The Quarterly Employment Survey (QES) for the third quarter of 2018, shows a decrease of 16 000 jobs. Job losses occurred in the manufacturing (-7 000), construction (-5 000), mining  (-2 000), trade (-2 000), transport (-1 000), and community services (-1 000) industries. The manufacturing and construction industries accounted for about three-quarters of the decline in employment over the quarter. Whilst   read more »

Some good news in trying times. After two consecutive years of decline, South African businesses recorded a 49% increase in net profit before tax in financial 2017, according to Stats SA’s latest Annual financial statistics (AFS) survey. The mining industry was the largest contributor to this rise. The success of a business generally depends on   read more »

The South African economy grew by 2,2% quarter-on-quarter (seasonally adjusted and annualised) in the third quarter of 2018, bringing to an end the country’s second recession since 1994. Higher contributions to growth in a number of industries – most notably in manufacturing, transport as well as finance and business services – were enough to lift   read more »

With concerns over job losses in major industries, the tourism sector has shown some resilience in the face of a tough economic climate. In 2017, the sector had its most successful year of job creation in recent times. The tourism sector created 31 752 net new jobs in 2017.1 This is the most number of net   read more »

Indicative of an economy under strain, expenditure by general government increased by just 4,7% from 2015/16 to 2016/17. This is the lowest annual rise in spending on record since 2005/06, when Stats SA started publishing the current series of its Financial statistics of consolidated general government report. The latest financial data provide an updated picture   read more »