World Toilet Day 2018

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), around 60% of the global population, or 4,5 billion people, either have no toilet at home or one that doesn't safely manage excreta. To commemorate World Toilet Day, which is celebrated on 19 November, the focus will be on improving access to toilets and ensuring the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for everyone by 2...

Four facts about indigent households

If South Africa were a suburb of 100 households, 22 would be beneficiaries of government’s indigent programme. Stats SA’s recent Non-financial census of municipalities provides insight into those households that struggle to afford access to basic services.

Who is most likely to be affected by long-term unemployment?

South Africa's official unemployment rate is on the increase. In the past 10 years (2008–2018), the unemployment rate has increased from 21,5% to almost 28,0%. Unemployment refers to those persons who were not employed, had taken steps to look for a job or to start a business and were available to take up a job had it been offered. Now, the main hiccup lies with those persons who have been unemployed for longer periods and still do not find any...

Higher education continues to cut capital spending

Capital expenditure by South Africa’s higher education institutions continued to fall, for the second consecutive year. The country’s 20 universities and 6 universities of technology recorded a 5,4% drop in capital expenditure in 2017 compared with 2016, falling from R6,22 billion to R5,89 billion.