The shifting nature of South Africa’s landscape: a 24-year snapshot of land cover change
The land under our feet is, in several senses, living. Alive in terms of the organisms that support healthy soils to cultivate crops. Active in terms of abiotic (non-living) and biotic (living) factors that interact with each other to create distinct ecological systems. Malleable in terms of the changes that humans bring about. Digital snapshots read more »
What does government spend money on?
A recent release from Stats SA provides a breakdown of financial data from all 708 institutions in government. This article provides an overview of what government spent money on in 2018/19, with focus on the public service wage bill. South African general government spent R1,79Â trillion in 2018/19, according to the latest Financial statistics of consolidated read more »
Steep slump in GDP as COVID-19 takes its toll on the economy
The punch in the gut was severe. Perhaps the second quarter of 2020 will become known as the pandemic quarter. South Africa’s economy suffered a significant contraction during April, May and June, when the country operated under widespread lockdown restrictions in response to COVID-19. Gross domestic product (GDP) fell by just over 16% between the read more »
Baking bad during lockdown
You’ve waited too long. Your friends have tried it, you’ve seen the videos, you’re feeling the FOMO. You roll up your sleeves – it is time to bake your own lockdown bread. The kitchen is ready. The ingredients are all set out. Two cups of boiling water – check! Instant yeast, brown sugar, salt, flour read more »
Mobility and migration in SA during the COVID-19 lockdown
Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) has released the third and final round of a series of three online web-based surveys to measure the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on individuals in the country. The third round of the survey (Wave 3) focused on migration and education issues for persons residing in South Africa who are read more »
A 110-year-old trade venture
It’s fascinating to think that one of the earliest experiments in free trade happened right here in southern Africa. Exactly 110 years ago this month, the Southern Africa Customs Union (SACU) was born. We explore data showing how the region depends on the oldest surviving trading bloc in the world. On 31 May 1910, South read more »
Loss of income resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic may lead to higher levels of food insecurity SA
Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) has embarked on a series of three online web-based surveys to measure the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on individuals in the country to assist government and other stakeholders in their response to the crisis. The second round of the survey (Wave 2) focused on employment, income and hunger-related issues read more »
COVID-19: Greater concern about economic collapse than health
Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) has embarked on a series of three online surveys to measure the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on households in the country. This report is the first wave in the series and focuses on health-related aspects in terms of behaviour, knowledge and perceptions with regard to COVID-19. The survey was read more »
Statistics South Africa to use telephonic data collection for Quarterly Labour Force Survey (Q2) 2020
Media Release                                                                                                     28 April 2020 Statistics South Africa to use telephonic data collection for Quarterly Labour Force Survey (Q2) 2020 The lockdown and progression of the pandemic resulted in the discontinuation of face-to-face data collection on 19 March 2020. Further to this, Statistics South Africa’s (Stats SA) Executive Committee took a decision to suspend read more »
Inflation dips to 4,1%
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 »