The recent voter registration drive was a reminder of the upcoming local government elections on 4 November 2026. A two-decade review of five financial indicators shows how municipalities fared at the time of previous elections. The beauty of Stats SA’s annual Financial census of municipalities statistical release is that it provides a time series of financial data read more »
One of the most significant features of national government spending is transfer payments to other levels of government and public institutions. These transfers, classified as “grants” under the Government Finance Statistics (GFSM 2014) framework,1 enable provinces, municipalities and other public institutions to deliver services on behalf of the government. According to the latest Financial statistics read more »
The South African economy recorded its fifth consecutive quarter of growth, expanding by 0,4% in the fourth quarter (October–December) of 2025.1 Finance, trade and personal services drove much of the upward momentum on the production (supply) side of the economy. A rise in household spending, gross fixed capital formation and government consumption lifted the expenditure 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 »
Stats SA published 23 statistical releases in October 2025. Notable economic outputs include data on public-sector infrastructure investment, and financial figures for higher education institutions. Public-sector capital spending is on a three-year upswing The 748 institutions that comprise South Africa’s public sector injected R276 billion into infrastructure projects in 2024, raising capital expenditure for a third read more »
Public-sector spending on infrastructure and other fixed assets continued an upward trajectory, rising to R276 billion in 2024 from R234 billion in 2023. This marks a third successive increase following a five-year downturn. Despite the positive momentum, the total remains below the peak of R283 billion in 2016. The public sector includes national government and provincial government departments, read more »
Provincial government provides a wide range of essential services, from education and health to infrastructure development. Recent data show how much money provincial government spends, in particular on compensation of employees. Government expenditure can be classified in functional and economic terms. The functional view reflects the purpose for which transactions are undertaken, mainly in terms read more »
Municipal debt figures can be sliced and diced in several ways. The debt-to-income ratio is one of several indicators used to gauge the financial health of municipalities. A breakdown of municipal liabilities In non-financial circles, the word debt is often associated broadly with liabilities, which is any financial obligation that must be paid. This can read more »
Government financial data might be overwhelming at first, especially for the non-expert. Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) publishes a wealth of government financial statistics. The two tables and overview below provide a useful summary of how the figures can be read and interpreted. The first table presents an overview of government’s current cash flow position, classifying read more »
In 2024, South Africa marks 30 years of democracy—a milestone that coincides with the 30th anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) held in Cairo, Egypt, in 1994. This dual commemoration underscores the transformative power of inclusive data to shape equitable futures, the theme of this year’s World Population Day which was read more »