Umhlabuyalingana

uMhlabuyalingana Local Municipalityi s one of five municipalitiesthat fall within uMkhanyakude District Municipality.  uMhlabuyalingana is located in the far northern part of KwaZulu-Natal, sharing its northern border with the country of Mozambique.

The municipality is deeply rural, with almost its entire population living in traditional authority areas. Several nature reserves are located within the municipality, including the Isimangaliso Wetland Park which is a World Heritage Site (Wikipedia).

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Maphumulo

Maphumulo is situated on the R74 Road from Stanger to Kranskop.The Maphumulo Local Municipality is classified as a Category B Municipality according to the Municipal Structures, 1998 (Act No. 117 of 1998). It comprises of mostly rural areas governed by Traditional Authorities. Maphumulo Municipality possesses a lot of untapped cultural/eco-tourism potential due its cultural background and natural heritage. It boasts tourist such natural attractions as Kwa-Shushu Hot Springs, ItshelikaNtunjambili and Sabuyaze Mountain amongst others. From both a historical and cultural perspective, IzibayazikaGcugcwa and the world famous battlefields of the Bambatha Rebellion serve as a good attraction for the area.read more »

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Blouberg

This municipality is in Limpopo and was originally established in the year 2000 after the amalgamation of the Bochum-My-Darling, Alldays-Buysdorp, and parts of Moletjie-Matlala TLCs. It is situated in the North western boundary of the Republic of South Africa with Botswana and Zimbabwe where the Limpopo River serves as the border between the municipality, Botswana and Zimbabwe. It is largely a rural municipality with 99,8% of the settlement being tribal or traditional and it is situated 95 km from Polokwane and has 21 wards.

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Blue Crane Route

Blue Crane Route Local Municipal area has a number of strategic environment advantages. It contains 97% of natural land covers, is centrally located between three national parks, contains biodiversity of regional and national significance, can boast incredible scenic beauty, and local conditions present a number of opportunities for renewable energy generation on a large scale. However the area faces a number of issues such as higher densities of population primarily concentrated in the three urban centres.

The low agricultural productivity and carrying capacity of much of the land in the municipality, combined with limited access to water for irrigation, has restricted development of the agricultural economy. The remoteness of the urban centres limits growth of business, services and sectors.

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City of Tshwane

The City of Tshwane is the capital of South Africa and is the largest municipality, as measured by land mass. Tshwane is amongst the six largestmetropolitan municipalities in South Africa and the second largest in Gauteng, as measured by Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The Tshwane regioncovers 6 368km² of Gauteng’s 19 055km² and houses approximately 2,9million residents.Tshwane consists of seven regions with 105 wards and 210 councillors.

The City has a vibrant and diverse economy, which enables it to contribute at least 26,8% of the Gauteng Province’s GDP and 9,4% of the GDP of the national economy.  Tshwane is the administrative capital of South Africa and is home to the Union Buildings with government-related business playing an important role in the local economy.  As a result, the city is taking active measures to firmly position itself as Africa's leading capital city of excellence.  The municipality's main economic sectors are community services and government, followed by finance and manufacturing.  Metal products, machinery and household products are the largest sub-sectors within manufacturing.  The City has a well-established manufacturing sector, with the automotive industry representing the most significant component.

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Transport

Travel survey – Online Updates The National Household Travel survey (NHTS) provides insight into the travel patterns of South African households, providing information on modes of transport used, such as land, air and water transport, as well as cycling, walking, public and private transport. Also included are statistics on travel times, transport challenges experienced by households, and travel patterns related to work, education and leisure. NHTS surveys were conducted in 2003, 2013 and 2020. Transport and the need for transport has become an important part of daily life in South Africa. Not only does the movement of goods and services play an important part in the South African economy, but the types of transport available to individuals affects spatial decisions in terms of work, entertainment, education and place of residence. Stats SA publishes a range of transport-related information in various reports and publications. Travel survey The National Household Travel survey (NHTS) provides insight into the travel patterns of South African households, providing information on modes of transport used, such as land, air and water transport, as well as cycling, walking, public and private transport. Also included are statistics on travel times, transport challenges experienced by households, and travel patterns related to work, education and leisure. NHTS surveys were conducted in 2003 and 2013. Transport and the economy Stats SA’s quarterly Gross domestic product (GDP) release provides information on the size and growth of various industries in the South African economy, including the transport industry. The same publication also includes figures on overall household expenditure on transport. The monthly Motor trade sales release provides the time series data of trade in motor vehicles and motor accessories. The Land transport survey, published on a monthly basis, provides data on passenger and freight transportation by land. The Producer Price Index (PPI) release provides information on the prices of transport equipment leaving the factory gate. The extent to which prices of fuel, public transport and private transport are changing is covered in the monthly Consumer Price Index (CPI) release. Employment Stats SA’s Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) and Quarterly Employment Survey (QES) provide information on the number of individuals employed in various industries, including the transport industry. Financial indicators The Quarterly Financial Statistics (QFS) and Annual Financial Statistics (AFS) reports provide a financial overview of various industries, including transport, storage and communication. Data on turnover, income and expenditure, profit or loss and various balance sheet items are also included in the reports. The transport and storage industry report for 2013 provides more in-depth information on the size, nature and structure of the transport and storage industry. This periodic survey provides details on employment within the industry, trading income, expenditure, profit or loss, inventories, sales and services, and purchases.read more »

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Economic Growth

The diverse structure of the South African economy is a critical aspect of its historical and current growth performance.  The manufacturing sector continues to occupy a significant share of the South Africa economy, despite its relative importance declining from 19 percent in 1993 to about 17 percent in 2012 in real terms.

In line with structural changes in many economies, it not surprising to observe that the finance, real estate and business services sector has increase its relative importance of 17 per cent in 1993 to approximately 24 per cent in 2012. These two sectors and a few more are an important part of the South African growth story since the dawn of democracy.

Despite that, less than a decade into the 21st century, many countries, including South Africa, experienced the global economic crisis.This has affected economic growth in South Africa over the last four years, prompting a deceleration in rate of economic growth.

South Africa experienced an average growth rate of approximately 5 per cent in real terms between 2004 and 2007. However, the period 2008 to 2012 only recorded average growth just above 2 per cent; largely a result of the global economic recession.

Of the nine provinces in South Africa, three power houses stand out. Gauteng, Kwazulu-Natal and Western Cape collectively contribute a significant portion to the country’s value added, reported at over 60 percent.

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National Accounts

The diverse structure of the South African economy is a critical aspect of its historical and current growth performance. The manufacturing sector continues to occupy a significant share of the South Africa economy, despite its relative importance declining from 19 percent in 1993 to about 17 percent in 2012 in real terms. In line with structural changes in many economies, it not surprising to observe that the finance, real estate and business services sector has increase its relative importance of 17 per cent in 1993 to approximately 24 per cent in 2012. These two sectors and a few more are an important part of the South African growth story since the dawn of democracy.read more »

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Poverty

Poverty is a key development challenge in social, economic and political terms; not only in South Africa but throughout the developing world. In post-apartheid South Africa, fighting the legacy of poverty and under-development has always been a central theme of Government. This was cemented in the Reconstruction and Development Plan (RDP) of 1994 and reiterated in the National Development Plan (NDP) published in 2011.

The guiding objectives of the NDP is the elimination of poverty and the reduction in inequality and all the elements of the plan must demonstrate their effect on these two objectives. The Living Conditions Survey (LCS) and the Income and Expenditure Survey (IES) conducted by Stats SA are the two primary contributors toward profiling and monitoring poverty and inequality over time.

These two surveys are fundamental components to the survey programme of any statistical agency. They are the leading tools for the measurement of absolute poverty and inequality and they are an extremely important building block for the Consumer Price Index (CPI) to stay current with the changing spending and consumption patterns of the country.

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Household Service Delivery Statistics

The dawn of democracy in 1994 created a new dispensation in which access to basic services such as housing, water and sanitation was recognized as a fundamental human right. South Africa inherited high levels of poverty and it continues to be confronted with unequal and often inadequate access to resources, infrastructure and social services. The Bill of Rights enshrined the right to basic services and commanded that the state must take reasonable measures to achieve the progressive realisation of these rights. Faced by inadequate information about the state of development in South Africa, Statistics South Africa (then called the Central Statistical Service) launched the October Household Survey (OHS) programme in 1993. The survey was discontinued in 1999 and subsequently replaced by the General Household Survey (GHS) which was instituted in 2002 in order to determine the level of development in the country and the performance of programs and projects on a regular basis. The GHS continues to evolve and key questions are continuously added and/or modified in consultation with key stakeholders to maintain the relevance and quality of data. In addition to measuring access to key services, the level of satisfaction with, as well as perceived quality of selected services provided by Government are also measured.read more »

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