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? Explore how the development of housing is taking shape in our metros, as well as other stories, in this edition of Stats   read more »

Infrastructure forms the backbone that connects different parts of the economy, supporting the flow of goods, travel and communication. Public-sector capital expenditure 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. Explore capital expenditure, as well as other stories,   read more »

Municipal debt figures can be sliced and diced in several ways. The debt-to-income ratio is one of many indicators used to gauge the financial health of municipalities, helping to answer the question of whether a municipality has the capacity to repay its debt from its income. Explore municipal debt, as well as other stories, in   read more »

Gambling and betting are on the rise in South Africa. Not only is this supported by data from the National Gambling Board, but it has also emerged in economic and household findings from Stats SA. Explore gambling, as well as other stories, in this edition of Stats Biz. Download Stats Biz – August 2025

Hake generated over a quarter of total sales of caught fish in 2023, followed by squid, lobster, tuna and anchovy. South African hake is widely distributed as a food source, accounting for 0,8% of total household spending on food. This is higher than other food items such as beef steak, sausages and meat patties. Explore   read more »

More consumer units are receiving basic services, but fewer are receiving these services for free. A 10-year review shows the coverage of free basic water falling from 38% in 2014 to 16% in 2023. The same held true for electricity, sewerage & sanitation and solid waste management. Explore municipal service delivery, as well as other   read more »

Agriculture came to the rescue in the first quarter, helping to pull GDP up by a marginal 0,1%. Four of the ten industries on the production side of the economy saw positive gains, but these were offset mainly by declines in mining and manufacturing. Explore the latest GDP figures, as well as other stories, in   read more »

Forestry & logging is the second smallest of 16 industries covered by Stats SA’s structural industry surveys. To get a sense of scale, manufacturing – the biggest of the 16 – is 82 times larger if income is used as a measuring tool. Explore the forestry & logging industry, as well as other stories, in   read more »

Coal provided the bulk of South Africa’s energy supply in 2021, according to the latest physical energy flow accounts. The electricity, gas & steam supply industry was the biggest user, relying heavily on coal to generate electricity. Coal was also the country’s biggest energy export. Explore how energy products flow through our economy, as well   read more »

Agriculture, trade and finance kept the South African economy above water in the fourth quarter of 2024. The three industries contributed positively to the 0,6% rise in the gross domestic product (GDP). Agriculture was lifted by field crops and animal products, while trade expanded on the back of increased wholesale, motor and retail trade. Explore   read more »