SoNA-In-Numbers – February 2018

Anniversary

• 100th – the anniversary of the birth of former President Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela.
• 100th – the anniversary of the birth of Struggle stalwart Mama Nontsikelelo Albertina Sisulu.

Population

• 57 million – South Africa’s diverse population.
   

Employment

• 3,2 million – work opportunities created by public employment programmes.
• 1 million – public servants employed by the State.
• 6 million – working South Africans whose earnings are expected to increase.

Social development

• 3,5 million –  indigent households being supported by government’s free basic services programme.
• 17 million – social grants being paid each month, benefiting nearly a third of the population.
• 1 million – children in early childhood development facilities.

Education

• 60,6% – matric pass rate in 2009.
• 75,1% – matric pass rate in 2017.
• 1 million – students enrolled in higher education in 2018.
• 500 000 – students enrolled in higher education in 1994.
• 39 500 – bursaries to be awarded by the Funza Lushaka Bursary Programme for Initial Teacher Education over the next three years.
• 1 million – internships to be created in the next three years.
• R350 000 – the gross combined annual income of households of first-year students benefiting from free higher education in 2018.

Economy and investment

• R57 billion – amount spent on locally produced goods.
• 30% – value of public procurement to be set aside to small, medium and micro enterprises, cooperatives, and township and rural enterprises.
• R1,5 billion – the value of the Small Business Fund established through the CEOs Initiative.
• 26 – countries whose markets will be combined by the free-trade area.
• 625 million – population of 26 countries whose markets will be combined by the free-trade area.

Tourism

• 700 000 – direct jobs being sustained by tourism.

Infrastructure development

• 187 – schools in rural and underprivileged urban areas across the country completed under the Accelerated Schools Infrastructure Delivery Initiative programme.

Health

• 2 million – additional people to be initiated on antiretroviral treatment by December 2020.