National government spending breaks the R2 trillion mark
The South African national government spent R2,04 trillion1 in the 2022/23 financial year, representing a rise of 6,1% from R1,92 trillion in 2021/22. Stats SA’s latest set of national government financial data shows how these funds were distributed. Just over half of total expenses in 2022/23 was allocated to grants paid to other levels of government, institutions read more »
Mbalo Brief – June 2024
For many years, South Africa (SA) has been operating two healthcare parallel systems . These being the private healthcare system and public healthcare system which have been operating in tandem to one another. This is now in the past after President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill into law on 15 May read more »
Trends in Youth Educational Attainment
June 16 is Youth Day in South Africa, commemorating the sacrifice paid by the youth who participated in the Soweto uprising in 1976. The day is also recognised as the Day of the African Child on the African continent and celebrated every year. The theme for the year is “To educate an African Child Fit read more »
Economic wrap-up for May 2024
Stats SA published 24 releases in May, with many providing a preliminary overview of economic performance in the first quarter (January–March). Key industries down in the first three months of the year Mining, manufacturing, electricity, construction, retail trade, motor trade and road transport were weaker in the first quarter of 2024 compared with the fourth read more »
Unemployment in South Africa: A Youth Perspective
South Africa, like many countries globally, grapples with the challenge of youth unemployment. This is supported by statistics indicating a 45,5% unemployment rate among young individuals (aged 15-34 years), in contrast to the national average of 32,9% in the first quarter of 2024. However, when looking at the Labour Market Dynamics in South Africa report read more »
Mbalo Brief, April 2024
This year marks 30 years since millions of South Africans cast their ballot in the democratic elections of 1994 for the first time in their lives. As the country reflects on 30 years of freedom and democracy, the celebrations will be focusing on the gains that have been made, achievements and milestones as well as read more »
Solar energy for the poor
Households and businesses are adopting alternative sources of energy as load shedding bites. What may not be well known is that many municipalities are in the game too, providing off-grid energy sources to the poorest households. The Free Basic Alternative Energy (FBAE) policy1 instructs municipalities to supply alternative sources of energy to poor households that read more »
Marriage Registrations in South Africa Declining
The administrative data on civil marriages indicates a notable downward trend in marriage registrations. As outlined in the Marriages and Divorces report for 2022, published by Statistics South Africa, there has been a significant decline of 29,5% in the number of civil marriages recorded between 2013 and 2022. Even when considering the impact of COVID-19 read more »
Liquid ledger: SA develops experimental water resource accounts
A water resource account is a balance sheet for a particular geographical area, providing data on water inflows, water outflows and changes in water storage. Water resource accounts in South Africa are physical accounts at the catchment scale, quantifying changes in stocks, flows and water consumption within a defined spatial and temporal domain. Statistics South read more »
Marginalised Communities in SA Achieve New Heights in Education
2024 commemorates three decades since the inception of democracy in South Africa. Since 1994, South Africa has ushered in notable reforms across multiple sectors, with education being one of the key areas of focus. These reforms aimed to address historical inequalities and improve access to quality education for all citizens. Substantial investments have been made read more »