Greater Tzaneen Local Municipality is situated in the eastern quadrant of Limpopo within the Mopani District Municipality area of jurisdiction. It is bordered by Polokwane to the west, Greater Letaba to the north, Ba-Phalaborwa and Maruleng to the east and Lepelle-Nkumpi to the south. It contains 125 rural villages, with almost 80% of households residing in these villages. The area encompasses the main towns of Tzaneen, Nkowankowa, Lenyenye, Letsitele and Haenertsburg. Greater Tzaneen Municipality is named after Tzaneen town which was surveyed and planned by surveyor H Manaschewitz in 1919. The origin of the name Tzaneen is not clear.read more »

Ventersdorp Local Municipality is situated in the eastern part of the North West. It is one of the four local municipalities of Dr Kenneth Kaunda District Municipality. It is situated 70 km from Klerksdorp/Matlosana Local Municipality, 130 km from Mafikeng and 140 km from Johannesburg. It is accessed through the N14 which connects it to both Johannesburg and Mafikeng.

The municipality covers an area of 3 764,05 km2 (Census 2011) and it is subdivided into six wards. Most of the villages in Ventersdorp can be regarded as semi-formalized villages where development is based on settlement layout plans (most of the stands were surveyed). Villages are currently managed by CPAs (Community Property Association), except Ga-Mogopa that is managed by a trust. Ownership of stands/plots within the villages is based on commercial ownership (no individual ownership exists).

Mamusa Local Municipality (NW393) covers a total area of approximately 3 681 km². This land mass is 7,8% of the total area of the Dr. Ruth S Mompati District Municipality. The administrative centre of the municipality is in the rural area of Schweizer-Reneke situated on the banks of the Harts River and at the foot of the Mamusa hills. The town of Schweizer-Reneke is the only town in Mamusa Local Municipality and is surrounded by agricultural farms. Schweizer-Reneke is the main administration centre for the local municipality and is closer to the township called Ipelegeng. Other townships under Mamusa Local Municipality include Amalia, Glodina, Migdol and Sharon. The Mamusa Local Municipality is situated about 70 km from Vryburg, where the district municipality offices reside.    read more »

Lekwa-Teemane Local Municipality (NW396) is approximately 3 681 km² in extent. This land mass makes up 7,75% of the total area of the Dr. Ruth S Mompati District Municipality area. The administrative centre of the municipality is in the rural area of Christiana. The other offices are located in Bloemhof. The major towns are Bloemhof and Christiana, which are predominantly farming towns, hence the major private-sector employers are farmers. Both of these towns can be described as rural to semi-rural and spreads. Apart from these two rural towns, most of the residents live in villages and townships. Christiana and Bloemhof are about 60 km away from each other. The Christiana area is composed of Christiana town, Geluksoord township, Christiana farms and the Utlwanang township, whereas the Bloemhof area is composed of Bloemhof town, Bloemhof farms and the Coverdale township, Salamat township and Boitumelong township.

With a total of 14 930 households, Lekwa-Teemane Local Municipality has the smallest population in the Dr RSM district. The average population density for Lekwa-Teemane Local Municipality has increased from 13,5 people per km2 in 2001 to 14,5 people per km2 in 2011. The municipality is divided into seven administration wards and has a total of 14 councillors (both ward councillors and PR councillors).

Maluti-A-Phofung local municipality is situated in the Free State. Maluti-A-Phofung is a local municipality and was established on 5 December 2001, and comprises of four former TLC local authorities, which are Qwaqwa Rural, Phuthaditjhaba, Harrismith and Kestell. The municipality is comprised of 35 wards and covers approximately 4 421 km2 in extent. Phuthaditjhaba is the urban centre of Qwaqwa and serves as the administrative head office of Maluti-A-Phofung municipality. Surrounding Phuthaditjhaba are the rural villages of Qwaqwa, established on tribal land administered by the Department of Land Affairs. Harrismith is a service center for the surrounding rural areas and a trading belt serving the national road, N3, which links the Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal provinces. Harrismith is surrounded by Tshiame located 12 km to the west and Intabazwe, which is located 1,5 km to the north. The town is an economic hub for people living in Tshiame, Intabazwe and Qwaqwa. Kestell is a service center for the surrounding agricultural oriented rural area, with Tlholong as the township. Kestell is situated along the N5 road that links Harrismith with Bethlehem. The rural areas of Maluti-A-Phofung comprise commercial farms and major nature conservation centres such as Qwaqwa National Park, Platberg, Sterkfontein Dam and the Maluti Mountain Range. The area is not only a tourist attraction destination, but also makes a big contribution in generating gross agricultural income for the whole of the province and is also highly regarded for its beef production.read more »

The history of agricultural statistics in South Africa goes back as far back as the beginning of the 20th century. With the exception of the World Wars and great depression years, an agricultural census was conducted on annual basis in the first half of the 20th century. As agriculture’s contribution to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) decreased over the years, so did the frequency of conducting agricultural censuses. Post 1994, agricultural censuses have been conducted on a five yearly basis, with annual surveys being conducted in between the census years. Until now, agricultural censuses and surveys have largely concentrated on commercial agriculture leaving out small-scale and subsistence agriculture. In 2009, Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) conducted an audit of agricultural statistics in the country. One of the findings was that the country lacked information on smallholder and subsistence agriculture. The current list of farmers being used to conduct surveys was mainly confined to commercial agriculture. A decision was taken that three questions related to agriculture would be included in the Population Census 2011 (Census 2011) questionnaire. The main objective was to identify all households involved in agriculture in the country, so that a complete frame of all individuals and entities involved in agriculture (both subsistence and commercial) could be generated. This will allow for a comprehensive agricultural census to be conducted.read more »

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.

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 »

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 »

There are different forms of work, these include work as employment (work to generate income), unpaid work which includes volunteer work and domestic work for own final household consumption. Statistics South Africa measures all forms of work including work which should be abolished like child labour.

Work as employment is measured from two sources, establishment surveys and household based surveys. The Quarterly Employment Survey (QES) is establishment based while The Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) is a household based survey. The two sources differ in coverage, scope, unit of measurement and method of collection. Because of these differences, the two sources yield different figures. However, the two sources should be regarded as complementary rather than competitive.

Each source has advantages and limitations in terms of statistics yielded. The QES covers non-agricultural formal sector employment while the QLFS covers total employment in all industries and sectors. The QLFS can also provide information on demographic characteristics of the labour force (employment and unemployment) which the QES cannot provide.