01 October 2026

30 Years of Counting South Africa

Statistics South Africa (Stats SA), in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), invites members of the media to roundtable discussions with the Statistician-General, Risenga Maluleke, and Heads of National Statistical Offices from SADC countries. This is part of the ongoing 30 years of Census campaign, which commemorates 30 years since South Africa’s first democratic population count, Census1996.

The 1996 census marks an important milestone in the country’s statistical journey and provided a comprehensive picture of the population, which was a full count of people of all races. The census data served as a foundation for planning, service delivery, and resource allocation, setting off a democratic dispensation based on equal access for all.

The gathering will reflect on South Africa’s census journey post-democracy to the first digital census of 2022. This will highlight the transition from traditional data collection methods to modern multimodal methods that seek to leave no one behind.

The delegates will share experiences, lessons, and perspectives from their countries, and provide a platform for media input on South Africa’s census journey and the role of census data in understanding a changing society.

Join us for a conversation on 30 years of counting South Africa, the story behind the numbers, and insights on the next round of censuses in the region.

The event will be held as follows:

Date: 08 October 2026

Time: 08H00

Venue: Ivory Boutique Hotel, 280 Jochem Street, Rietvalleirand, Pretoria East

For RSVP and media enquiries, contact:

Sivuyile Manqxamba: Cell: 0828882372: Email: SivuyileMA@statssa.gov.za

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