Mbalo Brief – March 2024
South Africa has been experiencing drier and hotter weather in the last few months. According to the South African Weather Service (SAWS) the heatwave that started on Sunday, 19 November 2023 and reached its peak on 27 November, broke records for being the hottest November in the country. On the 27th of November, more than read more »
![Tourism: the state of post-COVID-19 recovery](https://www.statssa.gov.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/travel1-64x64.jpg)
Tourism: the state of post-COVID-19 recovery
The economic fallout from COVID-19 affected many industries, including South Africa’s tourism sector. A decline in revenue from domestic (resident) visitors and inbound (non-resident) visitors, exacerbated by stringent travel restrictions, saw a fall in tourism trips, tourism-related expenditure, and employment. The sector has shown signs of recovering from the pandemic’s repercussions. The latest Tourism Satellite read more »
![Economic growth muted as 2023 draws to a close](https://www.statssa.gov.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/gdp4-64x64.jpg)
Economic growth muted as 2023 draws to a close
South Africa’s economy grew by a marginal 0,1%1 in the fourth quarter (October–December), taking the annual growth rate for 2023 to 0,6%. Real gross domestic product (GDP) in the fourth quarter was R1 158 billion. This is above the pre-COVID-19 reading of R1 150 billion, but still below the peak of R1 161 billion recorded in the third quarter read more »
![The shift in government spending patterns over time](https://www.statssa.gov.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Pic3-64x64.jpg)
The shift in government spending patterns over time
There is so much need but not enough money. Often faced with hard decisions on where to allocate scarce resources, governments usually have their own unique spending priorities. The South African government spent R2 187 billion (or R2,19 trillion) in the 2021/2022 fiscal year. This was R83 billion more than the R2 104 billion recorded in 2020/2021. Stats SA’s Financial statistics read more »
![Consumer inflation slowed in November](https://www.statssa.gov.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/cpiila2-64x64.jpg)
Consumer inflation slowed in November
Following a three-month upswing, headline consumer inflation cooled to 5,5% in November from 5,9% in October. The monthly change in the consumer price index (CPI) was -0,1%. The decline was mainly driven by a monthly decrease of 5,5% in the fuel price index, which drove the annual rate for fuel lower to 1,8% in November read more »
![GDP weakens in the third quarter](https://www.statssa.gov.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/gdp3-64x64.jpg)
GDP weakens in the third quarter
After two consecutive quarters of growth, South African real gross domestic product (GDP) contracted by 0,2% in the third quarter (July–September) of 2023.1 The contributions to the performance of the economy were evenly spread between the industries on the production side of the economy. The contributions ranged from -0,3 of a percentage point to +0,1 read more »
![A tale of two universities](https://www.statssa.gov.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/educ2-64x64.jpg)
A tale of two universities
South Africa’s two newest universities had their origins back in 2010. That year, the South African Government announced its intention to establish two new institutions of higher learning. In late 2011, the Department of Higher Education and Training, together with the University of Witwatersrand, formed the New Universities Project Management Team. This team was responsible read more »
![Public-sector capital expenditure increases in 2022](https://www.statssa.gov.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/capex1-64x64.jpg)
Public-sector capital expenditure increases in 2022
After five consecutive years of decline, capital expenditure in the public sector increased by R9,3 billion (4,6%), from R199,8 billion in 2021 to R209,1 billion in 2022. Extra-budgetary accounts and funds, national government, public corporations, provincial government and higher education institutions all recorded increases. However, there was a decline for local government, according to Stats SA’s Capital expenditure read more »
Eastern Cape home to over 7.2 million people.
Eastern Cape is the fourth most populated province in South Africa, according to the latest Census 2022 results. The total population of Eastern Cape as counted in Census 2022 increased by 10, 2% from 6,5 million more than a decade ago in Census 2011 to 7,2 million in the latest population and housing census. A read more »
Free State home to over 2,9 million people.
Media Release For Immediate Release 18 October 2023 Free State home to over 2,9 million people. Free State is one of the smaller provinces in South Africa, ranked eighth according to the latest Census 2022 results. The total population of Free State as counted in Census 2022 increased by 8,0%, from 2,7m more than a read more »