The recent royal wedding between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle cast the spotlight on fairy-tale weddings. Images of a young couple who are madly in love and vow to spend the rest of their lives together, filled with expectations of a perfect marriage, are what fairy-tale weddings are made of. The truth is that not   read more »

South Africa’s consumer inflation rate jumped to 4,5% in April after reaching a seven-year low of 3,8% in March. Much of the increase was a result of price rises in product groups that attract specific taxes, namely alcohol, fuel and sugary drinks. A one percentage point increase in value added tax (VAT) also came into   read more »

From 7 to 10 May 2018, the South African tourism industry hosted the annual Africa’s Travel Indaba at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli Convention Centre in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. This is one of the largest tourism marketing events on the African calendar and the tourism industry as it showcases the variety of Africa’s best tourism products, attractions   read more »

MEDIA RELEASE                                                                                                        15 May 2018 Quarterly Labour Force Survey – QLFS Q1:2018 The results of the Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) for the first quarter of 2018 released by Statistics South Africa today indicate that: The South African working-age population increased by 153 000 or 0,4 per cent   read more »

The South African working-age population increased by 153 000 or 0,4 per cent in the first quarter of 2018 compared to the fourth quarter of 2017. The rise in both employment (up by 206 000) and unemployment (up by 100 000) over the quarter led to the rise in the labour force participation rate now   read more »

Perspective matters. A lot. Recent provincial economic data published by Stats SA take on a fresh light when they’re ranked against other countries. Gauteng would become the 7th largest economy on the African continent if it became an independent state. The economy of KwaZulu-Natal is roughly the same size as Tanzania’s. Explore our provincial economies,   read more »

The South African trade industry is made up of five divisions: wholesale, motor, accommodation, food and beverages (i.e. restaurants and catering), and retail. Stats SA takes a look at five facts that you might not have known about the retail trade industry.   Fact 1: South Africans spent R31 900 per second in retail stores in   read more »

Perspective matters. A lot. Recent provincial economic data published by Stats SA take on a fresh light when they’re ranked against other countries. Gauteng is South Africa’s economic powerhouse. The province contributed just over a third to South Africa’s economic output in 2016, according to provincial gross domestic product (GDP) figures.1 In runner-up positions were   read more »

On 2 April 2018, South Africa and the world at large received news of the passing of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela. She passed away at the age of 81 after a long illness. Dubbed ‘Mother of the Nation’, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela became a potent symbol of South Africa’s anti-apartheid struggle when she was banished and jailed for campaigning   read more »

The tourism sector directly contributed 2,9% to the South African gross domestic product (GDP) in 2016, according to the latest release of Stats SA’s annual Tourism Satellite Account for South Africa report. The sector also employed just under 687 000 individuals, making it a larger employer than mining and utilities. Explore the economic impact of   read more »