As of 2022, South Africa's population increased and counted approximately 60.6 million inhabitants in total, of which the majority (roughly 49.1 million) were Black Africans. Individuals with an Indian or Asian background formed the smallest population group, counting approximately 1.56 million people overall. Looking at the population from a regional perspective, Gauteng (includes Johannesburg) is the smallest province of South Africa, though highly urbanized with a population of nearly 16 million people.

Increase in number of households

The total number of households increased annually between 2002 and 2022. Between this period, the number of households in South Africa grew by approximately 65 percent. Furthermore, households comprising two to three members were more common in urban areas (39.2 percent) than they were in rural areas (30.6 percent). Households with six or more people, on the other hand, amounted to 19.3 percent in rural areas, being roughly twice as common as those in urban areas.

Main sources of income

The majority of the households in South Africa had salaries or grants as a main source of income in 2019. Roughly 10.7 million drew their income from regular wages, whereas 7.9 million households received social grants paid by the government for citizens in need of state support.

As of 2022, the number of households in South Africa increased and amounted to approximately 18.48 million, roughly 530,000 more than in the previous year. Between 2002 and 2022, the number of families in South Africa grew by around 65 percent. Looking at the number of households from a regional perspective , the Gauteng province (includes the city of Johannesburg) has the bulk of households, with almost 5.6 million residences. Although Gauteng is the smallest region in the country, it is highly urbanized and houses most of the population.

Households headed by women

The number of households headed by women averaged around 42 percent. Rural areas such as the Eastern Cape and Limpopo had a higher proportion of women in charge of their family unit. Urbanized regions, namely Gauteng and the Western Cape, were more likely to be headed by men.

Languages spoken in households

The most spoken language within and outside of South African households was isiZulu, with around 25 percent of the population utilizing it. The English language was the second most common language spoken outside of households, with a share of roughly 17 percent. However, within households, individuals preferred to speak other official languages such as isiXhosa and Afrikaans. South Africa has a diverse range of cultures, and language plays a crucial role in preserving these cultures.