Latest news with #Covid-19SocialReliefofDistress
Eyewitness News
3 days ago
- Business
- Eyewitness News
Human rights organisation, COSATU and economists debate future of social grants
South Africa's economy is not creating enough jobs, so what happens to the millions of people who currently rely on social grants? This was the question raised by activists, economists and labour leaders at a panel discussion hosted by the Black Sash in Cape Town on Wednesday. The event was part of the organisation's 70th anniversary celebrations, and looked at the impact of removing social assistance in a country with high youth unemployment, food insecurity and growing inequality. The General Household Survey released by Statistics South Africa (StatsSA) on Tuesday, shows that the proportion of people receiving social grants grew from about 13% in 2003 to 31% in 2019 and surged to 40% in 2024 'due to the introduction of the special Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant'. Rachel Bukasa, Executive Director of Black Sash, said social grants are not a luxury, but a necessary response to high unemployment and poverty. 'Grants are an important stop-gap to the poverty and unemployment that exists. One of the biggest misconceptions when we talk about grants is that we don't want people to work. When we call for grants, it's in the absence of the jobs that the government has promised year after year.' She said while job creation remains the goal, the economy doesn't offer enough work for those who need it. Bukasa dismissed claims that grants breed dependency, saying they are a vital safety net while the government works to improve the job market. COSATU's Tony Ehrenreich agreed with Bukasa. He said the alternative to social support from the state is people falling into hunger and desperation. 'Grants are only a requirement when the market has failed. If the market is perfect there will be no need for grants, but the market is not perfect so we need to take care of people in the interim … It's not a question of jobs or grants. It's both,' Ehrenreich said. StatsSA reported that the official unemployment rate stood at about 33% in the first quarter of 2025. The expanded unemployment rate, which includes discouraged job seekers, is 43%. Ehrenreich said these statistics show the current economic direction is not working. 'We can say the system has failed if we look at the unemployment rate and deepening inequality … Must poor people pay for the failure of the rich and the public policymakers who drive around in their fancy cars? That can't be the response.' But political economist Phumlani Majozi said the current grant system is putting too much pressure on the country's fiscus. 'South Africans agree that the best way to move forward as a society is for people to have jobs … In our budget, the social grant expenditure is massive. 65% of our expenditure goes towards social grants, subsidised housing etc … Fiscally, it's not something that is manageable.' He criticised the lack of government vision. 'Where is the plan from the president and his cabinet to say by a certain year these are the targets … It doesn't seem like Enoch Godongwana has a plan.' Majozi said the system discouraged reform. 'There will be no incentive for government to change and pursue policies to encourage economic growth if our first argument is that we need social grants.' To which Bukasa responded that social security is a right, not a favour. 'Social assistance is protected by the Constitution. So we need to do away with the notion that it's a favour the government is doing … The fact that we have high needs for social protection right now is a reflection of governments inability to deliver on job creation.' This article first appeared on GroundUp. Read the original article here.
eNCA
5 days ago
- Business
- eNCA
Over 50% of householes benefit from grants
JOHANNESBURG - Dependence on government support has expanded dramatically over the past two decades. The share of individuals receiving social grants climbed from 12.8% in 2003 to 30.9% by 2019, before spiking to 40-point-1-percent last year. This sharp rise is largely attributed to the Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress grant. It was introduced as a temporary measure, but has since become a lifeline for millions facing unemployment and rising living costs. According to the latest General Household Survey released by Statistics South Africa, the proportion of households receiving at least one grant increased from 30.8% in 2002 to over 50% last year.
IOL News
5 days ago
- General
- IOL News
Women-headed households surge in South Africa, Stats SA reveals
Statistics South Africa has revealed that 42.4% of households are headed by women. Image: Yan Krukau / Pexels More than two-fifths (42.4%) of households in South Africa were headed by women in 2024, Statistics South Africa's (Stats SA) general household survey has revealed. This is amid the persistent gender pay gap and the rise in the unemployment rate in the country. According to the latest World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Report, South African women are paid between 23% and 35% less than men. According to the survey, the situation was most common in rural areas, particularly in the Eastern Cape (48.8%) and KwaZulu-Natal (46.8%). Women-headed households were least common in Gauteng (37.3%). Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ The household survey, which provides a snapshot of progress achieved in basic government services and identifies persistent service delivery gaps, was released on Tuesday. 'Families and households are profoundly important to the developmental, emotional, and cognitive growth of children, and parents and/or caregivers can play a central role in the development of children,' said Stats SA. The report found that a third (31.4%) of children lived with both parents, while 45.5% lived with only their mothers. More than one-tenth (11.7%) were orphaned, having lost one or both parents. Almost one-fifth (18.8%) of children lived with neither of their biological parents. More than one-quarter (26.9%) of households consisted of a single person, while 39.4% were nuclear households comprising parents and children. The skip generation households, in which grandparents lived with grandchildren, comprised 4.2% of all households. 'The latter was most common in the Eastern Cape (7.7%) and Limpopo (6.9%),' read the report. According to Stats SA, the number of individuals receiving social grants increased from 12.8% in 2003 to 30.9% in 2019. The number surged to 40.1% in 2024 due to the introduction of the special Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress (SRD). 'Compared to 2019, a much higher percentage of youth received grants in 2024 after the age of 18 due to the introduction of SRD.' The percentage of households that considered social grants as the main source of income increased steadily from 21.3% in 2009 to 28.8% in 2020, before falling back to 23.8% in 2024. Grants were particularly important as a main source of income for households in the Eastern Cape (38.9%), Northern Cape (34.4%), and Limpopo (33.8%). In terms of medical aid access, approximately three out of 20 South Africans had access to a medical aid scheme in 2024. Coverage slightly declined from 15.9% in 2002 to 15.5% in 2024. The highest coverage rates were in Western Cape (25.4%) and Gauteng (21.3%), while the lowest were in Limpopo (10.0%) and KwaZulu-Natal (10.2%). The survey shows that the percentage of households that lived in formal dwellings increased from 73.5% in 2002 to 84.1% in 2024. Nationally, three-fifths (60.1%) of households owned the dwelling they lived in. A further 25.1% rented their dwellings. Between 2002 and 2024, the percentage of households with access to piped or tap water in their dwellings, off-site or on-site, increased by 3.3 percentage points to 87.7%. Households with access to piped water in their dwellings increased from 40.4% to 46.4%. Access to improved sanitation, flush toilets, and pit toilets with ventilation pipes increased from 61.7% in 2002 to 83.1% in 2024. Approximately two-thirds (66.7%) of households used flush toilets (up from 57.3% in 2002), while 16.3% used pit toilets with ventilation pipes (up from 4.4% in 2002). Less than one percent of households did not have access to any form of sanitation. While 46.2% of toilet facilities were located in the dwelling, 49.9% were located in the yard. Cape Times
IOL News
5 days ago
- General
- IOL News
Surge in women-headed households in South Africa amid economic challenges
Statistics South Africa has revealed that 42.4% of households are headed by women. Image: Yan Krukau / Pexels Amid the persistent gender pay gap and the rise in unemployment in the country, more than two-fifths (42.4%) of households in South Africa were headed by women in 2024, Statistics South Africa's (Stats SA) general household survey has shown. According to the latest World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Report, South African women are paid between 23% and 35% less than men. According to the survey, the situation was most common in rural areas, particularly in the Eastern Cape (48.8%) and KwaZulu-Natal (46.8%). Women-headed households were least common in Gauteng (37.3%). The household survey, which provides a snapshot of progress achieved in basic government services and identifies persistent service delivery gaps, was released on Tuesday. It found that a third (31.4%) of children lived with both parents, while 45.5% lived with only their mothers. More than one-tenth (11.7%) were orphaned, having lost one or both parents. Almost one-fifth (18.8%) of children lived with neither of their biological parents. More than one-quarter (26.9%) of households consisted of a single person, while 39.4% were nuclear households comprising parents and children. The skip generation households, in which grandparents lived with grandchildren, comprised 4.2% of all households. 'The latter was most common in the Eastern Cape (7.7%) and Limpopo (6.9%),' read the report. 'Families and households are profoundly important to the developmental, emotional, and cognitive growth of children, and parents and/or caregivers can play a central role in the development of children." The unemployment rate currently stands at 32.9%, and this could push many South Africans towards social grants. According to Stats SA, the number of individuals receiving social grants increased from 12.8% in 2003 to 30.9% in 2019. The number surged to 40.1% in 2024 due to the introduction of the special Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress (SRD). 'Compared to 2019, a much higher percentage of youth received grants in 2024 after the age of 18 due to the introduction of SRD.' The percentage of households that considered social grants as the main source of income increased steadily from 21.3% in 2009 to 28.8% in 2020, before falling back to 23.8% in 2024. Grants were particularly important as a main source of income for households in the Eastern Cape (38.9%), Northern Cape (34.4%), and Limpopo (33.8%). In terms of medical aid access, approximately three out of 20 South Africans had access to a medical aid scheme in 2024. Coverage slightly declined from 15.9% in 2002 to 15.5% in 2024. The highest coverage rates were in Western Cape (25.4%) and Gauteng (21.3%), while the lowest were in Limpopo (10.0%) and KwaZulu-Natal (10.2%). Cape Argus
The Citizen
6 days ago
- General
- The Citizen
Statistics show almost a quarter of South African households go hungry
South Africa has come a long way to ensure more households have water and electricity, but many still do not have enough to eat. Statistics for last year show that almost a quarter of South African households did not have enough food to eat last year. This means that about 14 million people out of the 63 million people in South Africa went to bed hungry. According to the General Household Survey for 2024 issued by Statistics SA on Tuesday, 22.2% of households considered their access to food inadequate or severely inadequate, with the worst food access problems in the Northern Cape (34.3%), Eastern Cape (31.3%), Mpumalanga (30.4%) and KwaZulu-Natal (23.9%). Going to sleep hungry is not the only problem that many South Africans have. More people also became reliant on government funding as the proportion of individuals receiving social grants increased from 12.8% in 2003 to 30.9% in 2019 and surged to 40.1% in 2024 due to the introduction of the special Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant. ALSO READ: Stats SA survey: At least 42% of South African households headed by women 42.2% of households headed by women Almost half of the households in South Africa are headed by women, at 42.4%. In the rural areas, this number is even higher at 47.1%, particularly in the Eastern Cape (48.8%) and KwaZulu-Natal (46.8%). Households headed by women were the least common in Gauteng (37.3%). The report shows that more than a quarter (26.9%) of households consisted of a single person, while 39.4% were nuclear households of parents and children. Skip generation households, where grandparents lived with grandchildren, made up 4.2% of all households, and these were most common in the Eastern Cape (7.7%) and Limpopo (6.9%). ALSO READ: Only 3 in 10 poor children are developmentally on track, says minister Only 31.4% of children live with both parents in households Less than a third (31.4%) of children lived with both parents, while 45.5% lived with their mothers only and 11.7% were orphaned, having lost one or both parents. Almost 18.8% of South African children lived with neither of their biological parents. Only about three out of twenty South Africans had access to a medical aid scheme in 2024, with coverage decreasing slightly from 15.9% in 2002 to 15.5% in 2024. The highest coverage rates were in the Western Cape (25.4%) and Gauteng (21.3%), while the lowest were in Limpopo (10.0%) and KwaZulu-Natal (10.2%). ALSO READ: Gauteng's bubbling housing crisis People living in formal dwellings increased by more than 10% in 22 years The survey shows that the percentage of households living in formal dwellings increased from 73.5% in 2002 to 84.1% in 2024. Nationally, 60.1% owned the dwelling they lived in, while 25.1% rented their dwellings. Between 2002 and 2024, the percentage of households with access to piped or tap water in their dwellings, off-site or on-site, increased by 3.3 percentage points to 87.7%. Those with access to piped water in their dwellings increased from 40.4% to 46.4%. The percentage of households with access to municipal water increased from 78.4% in 2004 to 79.8% in 2024, an increase of 6.3 million. Access to improved sanitation with flush toilets or pit toilets with ventilation pipes increased from 61.7% in 2002 to 83.1% in 2024. The largest increases were observed in the Eastern Cape (56.5 percentage points), Limpopo (35.3 percentage points) and KwaZulu-Natal (26.9 percentage points). Approximately 66.7% of households used flush toilets (up from 57.3% in 2002), while 16.3% used pit toilets with ventilation pipes (up from 4.4% in 2002). Less than 1% of households did not have access to any form of sanitation, and while 46.2% of toilet facilities were located in the dwelling, 49.9% were located in the yard. ALSO READ: Johannesburg's 2025/26 tariff increases — Here is how much more you could pay Access to electricity also increased for households Access to mains electricity also increased notably since 2002, according to the report, increasing from 76.7% to 90.2%. Statistics SA says improved access to electricity had major implications for households. The percentage of households that used electricity as the main source of energy for cooking increased from 57.5% to 77.3%, while households that used paraffin decreased to 2.2% from 16.1%, and households that used wood or coal decreased from 23.0% to 8.0%. Gas users increased from 2.2% to 7.2%. Access to electricity also enabled wider use of household electrical appliances. Almost 88.3% of households owned an electrical stove (up from 78.7% in 2012), while 80.9% of households owned a fridge (up from 70.1% in 2012). About 59.3% of households owned a microwave oven. In addition, the report shows that 35.9% of households experienced load shedding or power interruptions during the week before they were interviewed. Households used a variety of alternative energy sources for cooking. Nationally, 28.2% used LPG/gas and 25.2% used open fires using a variety of materials such as wood, coal and charcoal. The use of gas was most common in the Western Cape (46.6%) and Gauteng (36.9%). Statistics SA says this increase is reflected in the fact that household ownership of gas stoves and plates increased from 19% in 2022 to 30.4% in 2024. ALSO READ: Connectivity and internet facing much-needed change and growth in SA Fewer people own radios, but more own TV sets Findings from the report also revealed a decline in traditional radio ownership due to access to alternative media like TV and the internet. The percentage of households that owned a radio decreased from 79.8% in 2002 to 31.3% in 2024, while household ownership of television sets increased from 57.4% in 2002 to 77.5% in 2024. Pay TV subscriptions increased from 29.2% in 2012 to 58.6% in 2024. Although the percentage of households without physical mail services increased from 9.0% in 2002 to 62.6% in 2024, South African households have actually become more connected since 2002, Statistics SA says. While the percentage of households that used landlines decreased from 25.5% in 2002 to 3.4% in 2024, access to mobile phones exploded and 96.1% owned at least one mobile phone in 2024. The percentage of households with access to the Internet through any other means increased from 28.0% in 2010 to 82.1% by 2024. Access to the internet through fixed lines at home hovered at about 10% between 2010 and 2021, before increasing to 17.4% in 2024.
