Salary bonuses and changing seasons shift municipal spending, according to data from Stats SA’s latest Quarterly financial statistics of municipalities report. Bonuses paid to municipal staff drove up employee-related costs at the end of 2014. Municipalities spent R19,3 billion on employees in the quarter ended December 2014, decreasing to R17,6 billion in the quarter ended   read more »

Why is it important to conduct a population census? The most important aspect in any society is human capital. Census is important because this process helps compile a numerical profile of South Africa. This in turn informs decision-making at all levels both in government and the private sector. A population census is a total count   read more »

What is a population census? A population census, as defined by the United Nations, is “the total process of collecting, compiling, evaluating, analysing and publishing or otherwise disseminating demographic, economic and social data pertaining, at a specified time, to all persons in a country or a well-defined part of the country”. The four essential features   read more »

The SESE is a household-based sample survey conducted every four years. The survey collects detailed information about non-VAT registered businesses, most of which are in the informal sector. Highlights Table 1: Individuals running informal businesses, 2001–2013 2001 2005* 2009 2013 2001 2005 2009 2013 Thousand Per cent  By sex 2 258 1 668 1 144   read more »

Given the vast amount of information appearing in detailed financial statements of companies, it may be difficult to discern significant relationships and trends in the data. One way to address this challenge is to use accounting ratios, which provides substantial insights into the relationships between variables and can indicate certain trends. Accounting ratios are calculated   read more »

Municipalities in Gauteng province are better off in terms of generating their own revenue in the form of services provided to households, while at the same time they are also getting a bigger share of the grants and subsidies received from both national and provincial governments in proportion to the increase in total population.  The   read more »

Government and all businesses, from small to multinational, need the facts on the economy that this release provides. Aneen Jordaan reports The gross domestic product (GDP) of a country is one of the main indicators used to measure the performance of a country’s economy. The Macmillan dictionary defines economy as the system by which a   read more »