After a two-year hiatus, Stats SA released an experimental set of provincial gross domestic product (GDP) data. Gauteng may be the smallest of the nine provinces in terms of area size, but it has the largest economy. In fact, Gauteng’s economy is larger than the economies of KwaZulu-Natal and Western Cape combined. Explore the latest   read more »

Investments in energy infrastructure were detected in the latest set of gross domestic product (GDP) figures. The demand side of the economy saw a sharp rise in capital spending on machinery & equipment in the second quarter, which included products related to renewable energy. This was reflected by import data, with the country recording an   read more »

Employee costs take up a sizable chunk of municipal spending. Staff remuneration costs accounted for 28% of total municipal expenditure in 2022, according to recent data from Stats SA. The aggregate proportion of 28% falls within the National Treasury norm of 25%‒40%. A more nuanced picture emerges if we map all 257 municipalities. Explore local   read more »

One of the important tasks of national government is to redistribute funds, mainly received from taxes, to other sectors of the economy. A large portion of national government spending was in the form of financial transfers to households, public corporations, organisations and other levels of government. Explore government spending, as well as other stories, in   read more »

The South African economy expanded by 0,4% in the first quarter of 2023, with manufacturing and finance being the major drivers of growth on the supply side of the economy. The demand side was lifted by exports, with smaller positive contributions for household, government, and investment spending. Explore the latest gross domestic product (GDP) figures,   read more »

Anecdotes about steep property price rises in Cape Town are not without merit. Stats SA’s new residential property price index (RPPI) compares how housing prices have increased since 2010 across the eight metropolitan municipalities and nine provinces. Since 2010, residential property prices have grown by 141% in the Mother City. Explore property prices, as well   read more »

Water outages across the country have focussed attention on this vital resource. South Africa is a semi-arid country, with only a few natural source areas for water. These areas, referred to as Strategic Water Source Areas (SWSAs), provide the bulk of the water that flows from our taps. Explore our SWSAs, as well as other   read more »

Consumer inflation hit its highest level in 13 years during 2022, with products recording their own peaks in different parts of the year. Wine, for example, registered its highest annual rate in May, cooling to its lowest reading in August. Fuel peaked in July with headline inflation, and oils & fats peaked one month later.   read more »

The year 2022 was tough, with soaring prices and rising interest rates leaving average consumers feeling the pinch. South Africa’s average inflation rate for 2022 was 6,9%, higher than the 4,5% recorded for 2021. The 2022 reading is the highest annual average rate since 2009 – the end of the global financial crisis. Explore inflation,   read more »

After contracting by 0,7% in the second quarter of 2022, the economy rallied in the third quarter, expanding by 1,6%. The size of the economy now exceeds pre-pandemic levels. Real gross domestic product (GDP) was R1 161 billion in the third quarter, which is above the previous peak of R1 152 billion recorded in 2018. Explore economic growth, as   read more »