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 »

In a major stride toward addressing employment challenges, South Africa has officially launched its Labour Market Information System (LMIS), a groundbreaking platform aimed at revolutionising how labour data is collected, analysed, and shared. The LMIS, unveiled in September 2024, is a collaborative effort led by the Department of Employment and Labour (DEL), the International Labour   read more »

The latest set of consolidated government financial data show a rise in spending between the 2021/22 and 2022/23 fiscal years. Several government functions benefited from the increase, while others recorded declines. The Financial statistics of consolidated general government statistical release provides a complete overview of revenue and spending across all 702 government institutions, including national,   read more »

Between 2011 and 2022, access to essential services has improved, with Census data revealing that access to clean water has increased from 85,1% to 88,5%, and improved sanitation from 68,9% to 80,7% — underscoring a decade of progress in service delivery. According to the report The State of Basic Service Delivery in South Africa: Analysis   read more »