The average monthly salary for South Africans who were employed in the formal non-agricultural sector was just over 26,800 South African rands (comparable to roughly 1,500 U.S. dollars) in November 2023, which represented a yearly increase of tw0 percent. During the period under review, the overall growth trend was positive, with the earnings increasing by 24.4 percent from 21,500 South African rands (approximately 1,180 U.S. dollars) in November 2018.    Minimum wage and highest-paid professions    Starting in March 2023, the minimum hourly wage in the country increased to 25.42 South African rands (comparable to 1.40 U.S. dollars), which represented an increase of 9.6 percent from 23.19 South African rands (1.27 U.S. dollars) per hour in the preceding year. On the other hand, professionals in executive and change management positions were paid the highest salaries in South Africa, with an average of 74,000 U.S. dollars yearly. Individuals with jobs in retail, trade, and craft followed, receiving an average of 66,000 U.S. dollars per annum.       Highest unemployment among Black South Africans In 2022, the unemployment rate in South Africa was nearly 30 percent following an increasing trend since 2008. The rate was highest among Black South Africans reaching as high as 36.8 percent in the second quarter of 2023. Moreover, Colored South Africans followed with around 22 percent, while white South Africans had a much lower unemployment rate of over 7 percent.

Key information about South Africa Monthly Earnings

• South Africa Monthly Earnings stood at 1,547 USD in Aug 2024, compared with the previous figure of 1,470 USD in May 2024
• South Africa Monthly Earnings data is updated quarterly, available from Nov 2004 to Aug 2024, with an average number of 1,473 USD
• The data reached the an all-time high of 1,877 USD in Aug 2011 and a record low of 968 USD in Feb 2009

CEIC converts Monthly Earnings into USD. Statistics South Africa provides Nominal Average Monthly Earnings in local currency based on 2016 Business Sampling Frame. Federal Reserve Board average market exchange rate is used for currency conversions. Monthly Earnings exclude Agriculture sector. Monthly Earnings prior to Q2 2015 are based on 2013 Business Sampling Frame and prior to Q2 2013 are based on 2009 Business Sampling Frame. Monthly Earnings are in quarterly frequency, ending in February, May, August, November of each year.


Further information about South Africa Monthly Earnings

• In the latest reports, South Africa Population reached 61 million people in Jun 2022
• Unemployment Rate of South Africa dropped to 32 % in Sep 2024
• The country's Labour Force Participation Rate dropped to 60 % in Sep 2024

In the 3 years to March 2021, black households were most likely out of all ethnic groups to have a weekly income of under £600.

In 2022, South African households had an average disposable income of over ****** South African rand (approximately ***** U.S. dollars). This was slightly higher than the previous year where the average disposable income was ****** South African rand (around ***** U.S. dollars). Within the observed period, the disposable income of households in the country was highest in 2018 at ****** South African rand (about ***** U.S. dollars), while it was lowest in 2004.

BackgroundDespite improvements to the cascade of HIV care in East Africa, access to care for non-communicable disease co-morbidities like hypertension (HTN) remains a persistent problem. The integration of care for these conditions presents an opportunity to achieve efficiencies in delivery as well as decrease overall costs for patients. This study aims to build evidence on the burden of current out-of-pocket costs of care among HIV-HTN co-morbid patients.MethodsWe administered a pre-tested, cross-sectional, out-of-pocket cost survey to 94 co-morbid patients receiving HIV care from 10 clinics in the Wakiso and Kampala districts of Uganda from June to November 2021. The survey assessed socio-demographic characteristics, direct medical costs (e.g., medications, consultations), indirect costs (e.g., transport, food, caregiving), and economic costs (i.e., foregone income) associated with seeking HIV and HTN care, as well as possible predictors of monthly care costs. Patients were sampled both during a government-imposed nation-wide full COVID-19 lockdown (n = 30) and after it was partially lifted (n = 64).ResultsMedian HIV care costs constitute between 2.7 and 4.0% of median monthly household income, while HTN care costs are between 7.1 to 7.9%. For just under half of our sample, the median monthly cost of HTN care is more than 10% of household income, and more than a quarter of patients report borrowing money or selling assets to cover costs. We observe uniformly lower reported costs of care for both conditions under full COVID-19 lockdown, suggesting that access to care was limited. The main predictors of monthly HIV and HTN care costs varied by disease and costing perspective.ConclusionsPatient out of pocket costs of care for HIV and HTN were substantial, but significantly lower during the 2021 full COVID-19 lockdown in Uganda. New strategies such as service integration need to be explored to reduce these costs.

Key information about South Africa Household Debt: % of GDP

• South Africa household debt accounted for 40.7 % of the country's Nominal GDP in Sep 2024, compared with the ratio of 40.6 % in the previous quarter.
• South Africa household debt to GDP ratio is updated quarterly, available from Mar 1969 to Sep 2024.
• The data reached an all-time high of 49.6 % in Sep 2007 and a record low of 25.0 % in Sep 1980.

CEIC calculates quarterly Household Debt as % of Nominal GDP from quarterly Household Debt and quarterly Nominal GDP. Household Debt is calculated from Household Disposable Income and ratio of Household Debt to Household Disposable Income. South African Reserve Bank provides Household Debt in local currency. Statistics South Africa provides Nominal GDP in local currency.


Related information about South Africa Household Debt: % of GDP

• In the latest reports, South Africa Household Debt reached 171.2 USD bn in Sep 2024.
• Money Supply M2 in South Africa increased 7.1 % YoY in Oct 2024.
• South Africa Foreign Exchange Reserves was measured at 45.0 USD bn in Oct 2024.
• The Foreign Exchange Reserves equaled 4.8 Months of Import in Oct 2024.
• South Africa Domestic Credit reached 319.5 USD bn in Oct 2024, representing an increased of 6.8 % YoY.
• The country's Non Performing Loans Ratio stood at 5.3 % in Oct 2024, compared with the ratio of 5.2 % in the previous month.

Abstract

South Africa's first Living Conditions Survey (LCS) was conducted by Statistics South Africa between September 2008 and August 2009. The main aim of this survey is to provide data that will contribute to better understanding of living conditions and poverty in South Africa for monitoring levels of poverty over time. Data was collected from 25 075 households across the country over a period of 12 months. The survey used a combination of the diary and recall methods. Households were required to complete their daily acquisitions in diaries provided by Stats SA for a period of a month and to answer a variety of questions from the household questionnaire administered by a Stats SA official on a variety of topics. These include household expenditure, subjective poverty, and income and anthropometry.

Geographic coverage

The survey had national coverage

Analysis unit

Units of analysis in the survey include households and individuals

Universe

The survey covered all private dwelling units, workers' hostels, residential hotels, nurses' and doctors' quarters, but excludes patients in hospitals or clinics, guests in hotels and guesthouses, prisoners in prisons, scholars and students in school or student hostels and the aged in old age homes.

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

The sampling frame for the LCS was obtained from Statistics South Africa's Master Sample (MS) based on the 2001 Population Census Enumeration Areas. The scope of the Master Sample (MS) is national coverage of all households in South Africa. It was designed to cover all households living in private dwelling units and workers living in workers' quarters in the country. The MS consists of 3080 primary sampling units (PSUs) made up of enumeration areas. The PSU coverage comprises all settlement types, including urban formal, urban informal, rural formal and tribal areas. For the LCS, 3065 PSUs were sampled from the MS and roughly ten dwelling units (DUs) were sampled on average per PSU. In the case of multiple households, all households in the DU were included. The sample was evenly split into four rotations (quarters) with national representativity in each rotation. Each rotation (consisting of a sample for three months) was then evenly split into monthly samples. Ultimately, the sample was evenly spread over the 12 survey periods (one month each).

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

The Living Conditions Survey 2008/2009 used a household questionnaire, a weekly diary, and a survey assessment questionnaire. The household questionnaire was a booklet of questions administered to respondents during the course of the survey month. The Weekly diary was a booklet that was left with the responding household to track all acquisitions made by the household during the survey month. The household (after being trained by the Interviewer) was responsible for recording all their daily acquisitions as well as information about where they purchased the item (source) and the purpose of the item. A household completed a different diary for each of the four weeks of the survey month. Interviewers then assigned codes for the classification of individual consumption according to purpose (COICOP) to reported items recorded in the weekly diary, using a code list provided to them. Finally the survey included a survey assessment questionnaire that was administered to households after the survey month was complete by either the district survey coordinator or provincial quality monitor. In addition to serving as a control questionnaire to verify information collected by the interviewers, the instrument was designed to evaluate data collection processes and the respondent's perceptions of Stats SA and the survey.

Descriptive statistics (means) for full sample and by lockdown status.

BackgroundEmergency care systems are critical to improving care for time-sensitive emergency conditions. The growth and development of these systems in Sub-Saharan Africa is becoming a priority. Layperson knowledge and recognition of emergency symptoms and subsequent care-seeking behavior are key to achieving timely access to care and appropriate treatment. This study aimed to assess community knowledge of emergency conditions as well as barriers to accessing the emergency care system in Northern Tanzania.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional study of households in three districts in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania from June to September 2021. The primary outcome was an inappropriate response to any of five hypothetical emergency conditions. Secondary outcomes were the incidence of household emergencies and delay in care access for those with emergency conditions. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Associations between the outcome of interest and select household characteristics were analyzed using Fisher’s Exact tests for categorical measures and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests for continuous measures.ResultsA total of 539 households were interviewed with 2,274 participants. The majority (46.8%) were from Moshi District Council. 73.7% used cash and/or had no insurance. The mean monthly household income was 226,107.6 Tanzanian Shillings. 76 (14.1%) households reported experiencing an emergency condition in the past year and 225 (41.7%) of respondents had an inappropriate response to at least one hypothetical emergency condition. A higher proportion of those with delayed access to healthcare paid with personal cash and a lower proportion had national health insurance. A higher proportion of those with inappropriate responses to hypothetical emergency conditions lived in rural districts, were uninsured, and had a lower mean income.ConclusionCommunity-dwelling adults in Northern Tanzania have significant gaps in understanding of emergency care conditions and delayed access to care for these conditions. Distance to the healthcare facilities, cost, and lack of insurance may contribute to care delays. Increasing insurance coverage and developing emergency medical services may improve access to care.

As of 2024, an individual living in South Africa with less than 1,109 South African rand (roughly 62.14 U.S. dollars) per month was considered poor. Furthermore, individuals having 796 South African rand (approximately 44.60 U.S. dollars) a month available for food were living below the poverty line according to South African national standards. Absolute poverty National poverty lines are affected by changes in the patterns of household consumers and fluctuations in prices of services and goods. They are calculated based on the consumer price indices (CPI) of both food and non-food items separately. The national poverty line is not the only applicable threshold. For instance,13.2 million people in South Africa were living under 2.15 U.S. dollars, which is the international absolute poverty threshold defined by the World Bank. Most unequal in the globe A prominent aspect of South Africa’s poverty is related to extreme income inequality. The country has the highest income Gini index globally at 63 percent as of 2023. One of the crucial obstacles to combating poverty and inequality in the country is linked to job availability. In fact, youth unemployment was as high as 49.14 percent in 2023.