A 110-year-old trade venture
It’s fascinating to think that one of the earliest experiments in free trade happened right here in southern Africa. Exactly 110 years ago this month, the Southern Africa Customs Union (SACU) was born. We explore data showing how the region depends on the oldest surviving trading bloc in the world. On 31 May 1910, South read more »
Inflation the lowest in almost 15 years
Annual CPI inflation for April reflects the impact of the first month of the COVID-19 lockdown. The rate dropped to 3,0% in April from 4,1% in March, the lowest reading since June 2005 when the rate was 2,8%. Consumer inflation is now at the bottom of the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) target range of read more »
Changes to the calculation and publication date of the April CPI
The COVID-19 pandemic and the drastic actions taken to prevent its spread have fundamentally impacted the South African economy and Stats SA’s ability to measure it. Government imposed a restrictive five-week lockdown from 27 March to 30 April. Data collection for the March 2020 consumer price index had been completed before the lockdown and it read more »
8,1% of respondents lost jobs or had to close businesses
Media Release                                                                                                                            20 May 2020                                             8,1% of respondents lost jobs or had to close businesses 8,1% of respondents reported that they lost their jobs or had to close their businesses read more »
Loss of income resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic may lead to higher levels of food insecurity SA
Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) has embarked on a series of three online web-based surveys to measure the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on individuals in the country to assist government and other stakeholders in their response to the crisis. The second round of the survey (Wave 2) focused on employment, income and hunger-related issues read more »
COVID-19: Nine in ten businesses report reduced turnover
The second wave of Stats SA’s COVID-19 business impact survey provides an update on how South African businesses are currently faring under lockdown. The first impact survey covered the period 30 March to 13 April 2020, and the results were published on 21 April.1 The survey asked firms in the formal sector how the COVID-19 read more »
Quarterly Labour Force Survey Q2:2020 data will be collected telephonically
Media Release                                                      7 read more »
Respondents are extremely worried about the possible collapse of the economy.
Media Release                                                                                                     30 April 2020  Respondents are extremely worried about the possible collapse of the economy. Respondents were staying indoors and only left their houses to get food or medicine, according to the COVID-19 behavioural and health perception survey results released by Statistics South Africa (Stats SA). The survey was conducted in the week read more »
COVID-19: Four in ten businesses feel that they cannot continue to operate
A rapid response survey, conducted by Stats SA during the lockdown, asked businesses how the current crisis is affecting their operations in the two-week period from 30 March to 13 April 2020. This is what they told us. A total of 707 businesses in the formal sector responded to the survey, outlining the pandemic’s impact read more »
Mbalo Brief – April 2020
COVID-19, Coronavirus, social distancing or lockdown have become the talk of town. This is a period that will definitely find its way into the world’s history books. Many businesses were forced to put their operations on hold, workers, pupils and students have been forced to stay at home and the South African National Defense Force read more »