A healthy agricultural industry is vital to economic development, employment and food security. Stats SA’s latest annual Agricultural Survey (2024) provides insight into the products that sustain the industry, and the impact of small, medium and micro farmers. Horticulture: The most significant income generator In November, the Citrus Growers’ Association of Southern Africa reported a   read more »

Employment in SA’s formal non-agricultural sector edged up in the third quarter of 2025, according to the latest Quarterly Employment Statistics (QES) released by Statistics South Africa. The survey shows a gain of 29 000 jobs (0,3%), with employment rising from 10,52 million in June 2025 to 10,55 million in September 2025. However, year-on-year figures paint a different   read more »

Poverty and age often move hand in hand, affecting people in different ways across the life cycle. A recent report by Statistics South Africa (Stats SA), “Poverty trends in South Africa: An examination of absolute poverty between 2006 and 2023”, sheds new light on how poverty has evolved over nearly two decades. Drawing on data   read more »

Real gross domestic product (GDP) expanded by 0,5% in the third quarter (July–September) of 2025.1 This follows a revised increase of 0,9% in the second quarter and marks the fourth consecutive rise in economic activity. Mining grows the most Nine of the ten industries on the production (supply) side of the economy were stronger in   read more »

The latest round of economic data provides clues on how well the economy performed in the third quarter (July–September) of the year. Monthly indicators largely positive Except for electricity generation, freight transport, and road passenger transport, business indicators were upbeat in the third quarter (Figure 1). Mining activity expanded by 2,5%, with platinum group metals driving   read more »

Each city develops its residential landscape in its own, unique way. Do town planners opt to spread a city outward with more free-standing homes, upward with high-density housing, or a combination of both? Stats SA’s latest ten-year review of private sector building statistics1 provides clues on the types of residential patterns forming in metropolitan municipalities.   read more »

If you want to know what matters to the government, look at its budget. An analysis of audited financial statements for 705 government institutions highlights South Africa’s fiscal priorities. General government spent R2,4 trillion in 2023/24,1 according to the latest Financial statistics of consolidated general government statistical release.2 The general public services category was the largest   read more »

South Africa’s latest labour market results show that the unemployment rate fell to 31,9% in the third quarter of 2025, down by 1,3 percentage points from the previous quarter. While the decline in the official rate is encouraging, Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) says there’s more to understanding the world of work than this single   read more »

In a year marked by fewer births and shifting demographics, one thing remains constant: the power of a name. According to the latest Recorded Live Births (RLB) data from Statistics South Africa, parents in 2024 showed a clear preference for names that reflect joy, resilience, and cultural pride. Lethabo, Lubanzi, and Nkazimulo topped the charts   read more »

The latest set of physical energy flow accounts released by Stats SA provides two new energy indicators which answer the following questions: To what extent does South Africa depend on energy products of other countries to meet its energy needs, and how much energy do South African households use per person? Physical energy flow accounts   read more »