Sol Plaatjie

Quick Fact

2,04% Population growth rate (2001 – 2011).

Quick Fact Image 2,04% Growth Rate

The Sol Plaatje Local Municipality is named after Solomon Tshekisho Plaatje who was a South African intellectual, journalist, linguist, politician, translator, and writer. Solomon Plaatje was born just outside Boshof, in the former Orange Free State (now Free State province, South Africa).

The Sol Plaatje Local Municipality is the second largest local municipality in the district with an area covering 3 145 km² and comprising a large urban node in the form of Kimberley, as well as villages and farms. Kimberley is the administrative centre of the municipality. Sol Plaatje Local Municipality is the largest local municipality in the Frances Baard District Municipality in terms of population size.

Rank By:
35 ranking by population size
  Rank view all
Drakenstein , Western Cape 251,262 32
Dr JS Moroka , Mpumalanga 249,705 33
Elias Motsoaledi , Limpopo 249,363 34
Sol Plaatjie , Northern Cape 248,041 35
Greater Giyani , Limpopo 244,217 36
Moses Kotane , North West 242,554 37
Emnambithi/Ladysmith , KwaZulu-Natal 237,437 38
Quick Fact

7,1% of those 20+ have no schooling.

Quick Fact Image

According to Census 2011, Sol Plaatje Local Municipality has the largest population (248 041) in the municipal district. The black African population constitutes 151 919, followed by the coloured population with 67 293. The people are diverse and speak an array of languages, including Afrikaans (110 535), English (19 636), Setswana (81 156) and Xhosa (13 574). There are 94 males for every 100 females in the municipality, and 66,2% of the population is aged between 15 and 64 years. In 2011, 28,8% of the population had matric, while 7% of the population had no schooling.

Group Percentage
Black African61,2%
Coloured27,4%
Indian/Asian1,2%
White7,5%
Other2,7%
Age Males Females
0-4 5,3% 5,1%
5-9 4,7% 4,5%
10-14 4,5% 4,3%
15-19 4,7% 4,7%
20-24 4,7% 4,8%
25-29 4,7% 4,8%
30-34 4% 4,1%
35-39 3,3% 3,6%
40-44 2,9% 3,3%
45-49 2,5% 2,5%
50-54 2,2% 2,6%
55-59 1,6% 2,1%
60-64 1,3% 1,6%
65-69 0,8% 1,1%
70-74 0,6% 0,9%
75-79 0,4% 0,6%
80-84 0,2% 0,4%
85+ 0,1% 0,3%
Language Percentage
Afrikaans 44,6%
English 7,9%
IsiNdebele 0,5%
IsiXhosa 5,5%
IsiZulu 1,3%
Sepedi 0,3%
Sesotho 2,5%
Setswana 32,7%
Sign Language 0,3%
SiSwati 0,1%
Tshivenda 0,1%
Xitsonga 0,1%
Other 2.6%
Not Applicable 1,5%
Group Percentage
Married 22,8%
Living together like married partners 7%
Never married 64%
Widower/Widow 3,8%
Separated 0,6%
Divorced 1,7%
Group Percentage
No Schooling 3,7%
Some Primary 40,7%
Completed Primary 6,1%
Some Secondary 31,7%
Completed Secondary 14,6%
Higher Education 1,6%
Not Applicable 1,6%
Sex Percentage
Female 51,5%
Male 48,5%
Quick Fact

84,9% Use electricity for lighting.

Quick Fact Image

 

At the heart of the Sol Plaatje Local Municipality is the bright metropolis of Kimberley, the capital city of the Northern Cape, and Galeshewe, the vibrant township on the city’s border. Census 2011 results revealed that there are 60 267 households in the municipality with an average household size of 4,1 persons per household. 40,7% of the population have no income. 41,0% of these households are headed by females, and the dependency ratio is 51. 81,6% of the dwellings are formal, and 82,8% of the households have a flush toilet connected to a sewerage system, while 84,9% of the households use electricity for lighting, and 61,9% of these households having piped water inside the dwelling.

Area Percentage
Urban 98,9%
Tribal/Traditional 0%
Farm 1,1%
Item Yes No
Cellphone 85,4% 14,6%
Computer 22,7% 77,3%
Television 80,4% 19,6%
Satellite Television 33,6% 66,4%
Radio 67,3% 32,7%
Landline / Telephone 18,1% 81,9%
Motor Car 33,5% 66,5%
Refrigerator 75,4% 24,6%
Electric / Gas-Stove 83,4% 16,6%
Energy Source Cooking Heating Lighting
Electricity 80% 68,3% 84,9%
Gas 7,5% 4% 0,3%
Paraffin 10,2% 6,3% 4,2%
Solar 0,1% 0,6% 0,2%
Candles 0% 0% 10,1%
Wood 1,7% 9,2% 0%
Coal 0,1% 0,3% 0%
Animal Dung 0% 0,1% 0%
Other 0,1% 0% 0%
None 0,3% 11,3% 0,4%
Access Percentage
From Home 8%
From Cellphone 17,4%
From Work 5,1%
From Elsewhere 4,1%
No Access 65,4%
Tenure Status Percentage
Rented 18%
Owned and fully paid off 44,4%
Owned but not yet paid off 16,8%
Occupied rent free 15,4%
Other 5,4%
Source of water Percentage
Regional/Local water scheme (operated by municipality or other water services provider) 96%
Borehole 0,8%
Spring 0,1%
Rain water tank 0,1%
Dam/Pool/Stagnant water 0,1%
River/Stream 0,1%
Water vendor 0,7%
Water tanker 0,4%
Other 1,8%
Toilet Facility Percentage
None 4,5%
Flush toilet (connected to sewerage system) 82,8%
Flush toilet (with septic tank) 1,7%
Chemical toilet 0,1%
Pit toilet with ventilation 0,3%
Pit toilet without ventilation 1,7%
Bucket toilet 6,4%
Other 2,4%
Refuse Disposal Percentage
Removed by local authority/private company at least once a week 84,3%
Removed by local authority/private company less often 1,4%
Communal refuse dump 1,1%
Own refuse dump 7,8%
No rubbish disposal 3,6%
Other 1,8%
Refuse Disposal Percentage
Removed by local authority/private company at least once a week 84,3%
Removed by local authority/private company less often 1,4%
Communal refuse dump 1,1%
Own refuse dump 7,8%
No rubbish disposal 3,6%
Other 1,8%
Quick Fact

41,7% Youth unemployment rate.

Quick Fact Image

The economic activities consist of retailers and industries, as well as mining and farming.

Agricultural land is mostly used for game, sheep and cattle farming, and cash crops such as lucerne, grapes, cotton and soybeans. Mining is still an integral part of the economy. The municipality has an employable population of 63 049 people and a total of 64 250 people that are not economically active in the local municipality. The unemployment rate stands at 31,9% with the youth unemployment rate standing at 41,7%.

Employment Status Number
Employed 63049
Unemployed 29514
Discouraged Work Seeker 7474
Not Economically Active 64250
Income Percentage
None income 11,7%
R1 - R4,800 3,3%
R4,801 - R9,600 5,3%
R9,601 - R19,600 16,1%
R19,601 - R38,200 18,7%
R38,201 - R76,4000 14,9%
R76,401 - R153,800 12%
R153,801 - R307,600 9,6%
R307,601 - R614,400 5,8%
R614,001 - R1,228,800 1,8%
R1,228,801 - R2,457,600 0,4%
R2,457,601+ 0,4%
Agricultural households
Type of specific activity Number
Livestock production 1,451
Poultry production 2,069
Vegetable production 2,029
Production of other crops 2,946
Other 2,414

**An agricultural household may engage in more than one agricultural activity

Agricultural households
Type of activity Number
Crops only 2,714
Animals only 1,337
Mixed farming 1,187
Other 478

**An agricultural household may not fall under more than one agricultural activity

Income category of agricultural households
Annual income category of agricultural household heads Number
No income 1,386
R1-R4 800 162
R4 801-R38 400 2,711
R38 401-R307 200 1,124
R307 201+ 191
Unspecified 142

Place names

Places in Sol Plaatjie Municipality

Key Statistics 2011

Total population248,041
Young (0-14)28,3%
Working Age (15-64)66,2%
Elderly (65+)5,5%
Dependency ratio51
Sex ratio94
Growth rate2,04% (2001-2011)
Population density79 persons/km2
Unemployment rate31,9%
Youth unemployment rate41,7%
No schooling aged 20+7,1%
Higher education aged 20+10,4%
Matric aged 20+29,2%
Number of households60,297
Number of Agricultural households5,715
Average household size3,9
Female headed households41%
Formal dwellings81,6%
Housing owned/paying off61,2%
Flush toilet connected to sewerage82,8%
Weekly refuse removal84,3%
Piped water inside dwelling61,9%
Electricity for lighting84,9%

Key Statistics 2001

Total population202,246
Young (0-14)28,8%
Working Age (15-64)66,2%
Elderly (65+)5,4%
Dependency ratio51,9%
Sex ratio91,7
Growth rate-0,28% (2001-2011)
Unemployment rate41,3%
Youth unemployment rate51,5%
No schooling aged 20+11,3%
Higher education aged 20+8,7%
Matric aged 20+21,9%
Number of households50,529
Average household size3,8
Female headed households39,2%
Formal dwellings81,7%
Housing owned/paying off73,4%
Flush toilet connected to sewerage83,4%
Weekly refuse removal90,8%
Piped water inside dwelling51,2%
Electricity for lighting82,4%