When the COVID-19 lockdown went into effect on 27 March, the range of products available to households for purchase was restricted to a set of defined essential goods and services. Since the beginning of the lockdown, Stats SA has been measuring price changes for those essential goods that appear in the Consumer Price Index (CPI)   read more »

Annual CPI inflation nudged lower to 4,1% in March from February’s reading of 4,6%. There were two key features of the CPI in March: the incorporation of fee data from educational institutions (including crèches) and the effect of the latest increases in excise tariffs. Tuition fees are surveyed once a year in March. On average,   read more »

Media release                                                                                               21 April 2020  COVID-19: Four in ten businesses feel that they cannot continue to operate  The results of a rapid response survey conducted by Stats SA during the lockdown was released today. Businesses were asked how the current crisis affected their operations in the two-week period from 30 March to 13 April 2020.   read more »

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 »

Background The personal, social and economic impact of COVID-19 is unlike anything experienced by the world in the past 75 years. Stats SA is aware of the need for timely data to understand these impacts, but is equally constrained by the restrictions put in place to manage the spread of the coronavirus. The task of   read more »

New employment figures released by Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) showed that South Africa’s formal non-agricultural sector added 16 000 jobs in the fourth quarter of 2019, bringing the total number of persons employed in the formal non-agricultural sector to 10,2 million. The Quarterly Employment Survey (QES) reported that formal sector jobs rose by 18 000 in   read more »

President Ramaphosa announced a 21-day lockdown starting on Friday 27 March 2020 to Thursday 16 April 2020. It is important that you stay updated during this period, as the regulations governing the lockdown will change as the situation changes. Stay updated by visiting www.sacoronavirus.co.za. Please see a list of important numbers below.

South Africa’s 257 municipalities spent a total of R95,2 billion in the quarter ended December 2019 (October to December). This is how much it costs municipalities to provide services – such as water, electricity and sanitation – to millions of households across the country. The R95,2 billion was higher than the R84,4 billion that was   read more »

MEDIA RELEASE                                                                                            24 March 2020                 Stats SA releases Census of Commercial Agriculture 2017 Report Number of farms Statistics South Africa today released findings from the Census of Commercial Agriculture report,the report shows that a total number of farms/ farming units involved in the commercial agriculture industry in 2017 was 40 122. The largest proportion of farms   read more »