Abstract

The GHS is an annual household survey, specifically designed to measure various aspects of the living circumstances of South African households. The key findings reported here focus on the five broad areas covered by the GHS, namely: education, health, activities related to work and unemployment, housing and household access to services and facilities.

Geographic coverage

The scope of the General Household Survey 2009 was national coverage.

Analysis unit

The units of anaylsis for the General Household Survey 2009 are individuals and households.

Universe

The survey covered all de jure household members (usual residents) of households in the nine provinces of South Africa and residents in workers' hostels. The survey does not cover collective living quarters such as students' hostels, old age homes, hospitals, prisons and military barracks.

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

The sample design for the GHS 2009 was based on a master sample (MS) that was originally designed for the QLFS and was used for the first time for the GHS in 2008. This master sample is shared by the Quarterly Labour Force Surveys (QLFS), General Household Survey (GHS), Living Conditions Survey (LCS), Domestic Tourism Survey and the Income and Expenditure Surveys (IES).

The master sample used a two-stage, stratified design with probability–proportional-to-size (PPS) sampling of PSUs from within strata, and systematic sampling of dwelling units (DUs) from the sampled primary sampling units (PSUs). A self-weighting design at provincial level was used and MS stratification was divided into two levels. Primary stratification was defined by metropolitan and non-metropolitan geographic area type. During secondary stratification, the Census 2001 data were summarised at PSU level. The following variables were used for secondary stratification; household size, education, occupancy status, gender, industry and income.

Census enumeration areas (EAs) as delineated for Census 2001 formed the basis of the PSUs. The following additional rules were used: • Where possible, PSU sizes were kept between 100 and 500 dwelling units (DUs); • EAs with fewer than 25 DUs were excluded; • EAs with between 26 and 99 DUs were pooled to form larger PSUs and the criteria used was same settlement type; • Virtual splits were applied to large PSUs: 500 to 999 split into two; 1 000 to 1 499 split into three; and 1 500 plus split into four PSUs; and • Informal PSUs were segmented.

A Randomised Probability Proportional to Size (RPPS) systematic sample of PSUs was drawn in each stratum, with the measure of size being the number of households in the PSU. Altogether approximately 3 080 PSUs were selected. In each selected PSU a systematic sample of dwelling units was drawn. The number of DUs selected per PSU varies from PSU to PSU and depends on the Inverse Sampling Ratios (ISR) of each PSU.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

The GHS 2009 questionnaire collected data on: Household characteristics: Dwelling type, home ownership, access to water and sanitation facilities, access to services, transport, household assets, land ownership, agricultural production Individuals' characteristics: demographic characteristics, relationship to household head, marital status, language, education, employment, income, health, disability, access to social services, mortality. Women's characteristics: fertility

Sampling error estimates

Estimation and use of standard error The published results of the General Household Survey are based on representative probability samples drawn from the South African population, as discussed in the section on sample design. Consequently, all estimates are subject to sampling variability. This means that the sample estimates may differ from the population figures that would have been produced if the entire South African population had been included in the survey. The measure usually used to indicate the probable difference between a sample estimate and the corresponding population figure is the standard error (SE), which measures the extent to which an estimate might have varied by chance because only a sample of the population was included. There are two major factors which influence the value of a standard error. The first factor is the sample size. Generally speaking, the larger the sample size, the more precise the estimate and the smaller the standard error. Consequently, in a national household survey such as the GHS, one expects more precise estimates at the national level than at the provincial level due to the larger sample size involved. The second factor is the variability between households of the parameter of the population being estimated, for example, the number of unemployed persons in the household.

Abstract

The Community Survey (CS) is a nationally representative, large-scale household survey which was conducted from February to March 2007. The Community Survey is designed to provide information on the trends and levels of demographic and socio-economic data, such as population size and distribution; the extent of poor households; access to facilities and services, and the levels of employment/unemployment at national, provincial and municipality level. The data can be used to assist government and the private sector in the planning, evaluation and monitoring of programmes and policies. The information collected can also be used to assess the impact of socio-economic policies and provide an indication as to how far the country has gone in its strides to eradicate poverty.

Censuses 1996 and 2001 are the only all-inclusive censuses that Statistics South Africa has thus far conducted under the new democratic dispensation. Demographic and socio-economic data were collected and the results have enabled government and all other users of this information to make informed decisions. When cabinet took a decision that Stats SA should not conduct a census in 2006, it created a gap in information or data between Census 2001 and the next Census scheduled to be carried out in 2011. A decision was therefore taken to carry out the Community Survey in 2007.

The main objectives of the survey were: · To provide estimates at lower geographical levels than existing household surveys; · To build human, management and logistical capacities for Census 2011; and · To provide inputs into the preparation of the mid-year population projections.

The wider project strategic theme is to provide relevant statistical information that meets user needs and aspirations. Some of the main topics that are covered by the survey include demography, migration, disability and social grants, educational levels, employment and economic activities.

Geographic coverage

The survey covered the whole of South Africa, including all nine provinces as well as the four settlement types - urban-formal, urban-informal, rural-formal (commercial farms) and rural-informal (tribal areas).

Analysis unit

Households

Universe

The Community Survey covered all de jure household members (usual residents) in South Africa. The survey excluded collective living quarters (institutions) and some households in EAs classified as recreational areas or institutions. However, an approximation of the out-of-scope population was made from the 2001 Census and added to the final estimates of the CS 2007 results.

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

Sample Design

The sampling procedure that was adopted for the CS was a two-stage stratified random sampling process. Stage one involved the selection of enumeration areas, and stage tow was the selection of dwelling units.

Since the data are required for each local municipality, each municipality was considered as an explicit stratum. The stratification is done for those municipalities classified as category B municipalities (local municipalities) and category A municipalities (metropolitan areas) as proclaimed at the time of Census 2001. However, the newly proclaimed boundaries as well as any other higher level of geography such as province or district municipality, were considered as any other domain variable based on their link to the smallest geographic unit - the enumeration area.

The Frame

The Census 2001 enumeration areas were used because they give a full geographic coverage of the country without any overlap. Although changes in settlement type, growth or movement of people have occurred, the enumeration areas assisted in getting a spatial comparison over time. Out of 80 787 enumeration areas countrywide, 79 466 were considered in the frame. A total of 1 321 enumeration areas were excluded (919 covering institutions and 402 recreational areas).

On the second level, the listing exercise yielded the dwelling frame which facilitated the selection of dwellings to be visited. The dwelling unit is a structure or part of a structure or group of structures occupied or meant to be occupied by one or more households. Some of these structures may be vacant and/or under construction, but can be lived in at the time of the survey. A dwelling unit may also be within collective living quarters where applicable (examples of each are a house, a group of huts, a flat, hostels, etc.).

The Community Survey universe at the second-level frame is dependent on whether the different structures are classified as dwelling units (DUs) or not. Structures where people stay/live were listed and classified as dwelling units. However, there are special cases of collective living quarters that were also included in the CS frame. These are religious institutions such as convents or monasteries, and guesthouses where people stay for an extended period (more than a month). Student residences - based on how long people have stayed (more than a month) - and old-age homes not similar to hospitals (where people are living in a communal set-up) were treated the same as hostels, thereby listing either the bed or room. In addition, any other family staying in separate quarters within the premises of an institution (like wardens' quarters, military family quarters, teachers' quarters and medical staff quarters) were considered as part of the CS frame. The inclusion of such group quarters in the frame is based on the living circumstances within these structures. Members are independent of each other with the exception that they sleep under one roof.

The remaining group quarters were excluded from the CS frame because they are difficult to access and have no stable composition. Excluded dwelling types were prisons, hotels, hospitals, military barracks, etc. This is in addition to the exclusion on first level of the enumeration areas (EAs) classified as institutions (military bases) or recreational areas (national parks).

The Selection of Enumeration Areas (EAs)

The EAs within each municipality were ordered by geographic type and EA type. The selection was done by using systematic random sampling. The criteria used were as follows: In municipalities with fewer than 30 EAs, all EAs were automatically selected. In municipalities with 30 or more EAs, the sample selection used a fixed proportion of 19% of all sampled EAs. However, if the selected EAs in a municipality were less than 30 EAs, the sample in the municipality was increased to 30 EAs.

The Selection of Dwelling Units

The second level of the frame required a full re-listing of dwelling units. The listing exercise was undertaken before the selection of DUs. The adopted listing methodology ensured that the listing route was determined by the lister. Thisapproach facilitated the serpentine selection of dwelling units. The listing exercise provided a complete list of dwelling units in the selected EAs. Only those structures that were classified as dwelling units were considered for selection, whether vacant or occupied. This exercise yielded a total of 2 511 314 dwelling units.

The selection of the dwelling units was also based on a fixed proportion of 10% of the total listed dwellings in an EA. A constraint was imposed on small-size EAs where, if the listed dwelling units were less than 10 dwellings, the selection was increased to 10 dwelling units. All households within the selected dwelling units were covered. There was no replacement of refusals, vacant dwellings or non-contacts owing to their impact on the probability of selection.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

Consultation on Questionnaire Design Ten stakeholder workshops were held across the country during August and September 2004. Approximately 367 stakeholders, predominantly from national, provincial and local government departments, as well as from research and educational institutions, attended. The workshops aimed to achieve two objectives, namely to better understand the type of information stakeholders need to meet their objectives, and to consider the proposed data items to be included in future household surveys. The output from this process was a set of data items relating to a specific, defined focus area and outcomes that culminated with the data collection instrument (see Annexure B for all the data items).

Questionnaire Design The design of the CS questionnaire was household-based and intended to collect information on 10 people. It was developed in line with the household-based survey questionnaires conducted by Stats SA. The questions were based on the data items generated out of the consultation process described above. Both the design and questionnaire layout were pre-tested in October 2005 and adjustments were made for the pilot in February 2006. Further adjustments were done after the pilot results had been finalised.

Cleaning operations

Editing The automated cleaning was implemented based on an editing rules specification defined with reference to the approved questionnaire. Most of the editing rules were categorised into structural edits looking into the relationship between different record type, the minimum processability rules that removed false positive readings or noise, the logical editing that determine the inconsistency between fields of the same statistical unit, and the inferential editing that search similarities across the domain. The edit specifications document for the structural, population, mortality and housing edits was developed by a team of Stats SA subject-matter specialists, demographers, and programmers. The process was successfully

Abstract

Objectives: Providing data for reviewing existing policies and programmes addressing both human rights and development challenges as well as promoting inclusion of persons with disabilities.

Reference Period: 9 to 31 October 2011

Periodicity of Data Collection: Every 10 years

Geographic coverage

Whole country

Analysis unit

Individuals

Universe

Population groups: Persons in age group 15-64

Total population covered: 15% on the sample

Economic activities: All economic activities

Sectors covered: All sectors

Labor force status: Employed persons, unemployed persons, persons outside labour force

Status in Employment: Employees, employers, own-account workers, contributing family workers

Establishments: NR

Other limitations: No

Classifications: Level of education, sex, age, type of disability, level of disability, province, population group

Cross-classification: Employed by degree of difficulty in the six functional domains and by sex, population group), geography type. Distribution of population by disability status, sex and labour market status.

Kind of data

Census/enumeration data [cen]

Frequency of data collection

Periodicity of Data collection: Every 10 years

Abstract

In October 2001, South Africans were enumerated to collect information on persons and households throughout the country, using a uniform methodology. Household data collected included data on each household and each person present in the household on Census night, as well as data on services available to the household. Data on household residents, and residents of hostels and the other types of collective living quarters was also captured, as well as data on individuals who spent census night in institutions and hotels.

Geographic coverage

The South African Census 2001 has national coverage.

Analysis unit

The units of analysis for the South Africa Census 2001 were households and individuals

Universe

The South African Census 2001 covered every person present in South Africa on Census Night, 9-10 October 2001 including all de jure household members and residents of institutions.

Kind of data

Census/enumeration data [cen]

Sampling procedure

The data in the South African Census 2001 dataset is a 10% unit level sample drawn from Census 2001 as follows: 1) Households: • A 10% sample of households in housing units, and • A 10% sample of collective living quarters (both institutional and non-institutional) and the homeless.

2) Persons: • A sample consisting of all persons in the households and collective living quarters, and the homeless, drawn for the samples described above

3) Mortality: • A sample consisting of all mortality information for the households in housing units drawn in the 10% sample of households.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

Three questionnaires were administered for the South African Census 2001, questionnaire A (for persons in households), questionnaire B (for persons in institutions) and questionnaire C (for institutions). The Household questionnaire covered household characteristics, such as dwellling type, home ownership, household assets, access to services and energy sources. A component of the questionnaire captures fertility data. Both the household and persons in institutions questionnaires collected data on individuals' characteristics, including age, population group, language, religion, citizenship, migration, mortality and disability, as well as means of travel. Economic characteristics of individuals included employment activities and data on unemployment.

Cleaning operations

The following publication can be consulted for a detailed account of the editing undertaken for the South African Census 2001: Computer editing specifications / Statistics South Africa. Pretoria: Statistics South Africa, 2003 369p. [Report No. 03-02-43 (2001)]. ISBN 0-621-34566-0.

Data appraisal

As part of the quality check for Census 2001, a Post-Enumeration Survey (PES) was conducted in November 2001, approximately one month after the census. Fieldworkers re-visited a scientifically selected sample of almost 1% of the census enumeration areas, to do an independent recount. The published census results are adjusted for undercount according to the findings of the PES. In addition to the check on coverage, the PES also involved an independent re-measurement of the basic characteristics of the population. Details on this process are available in the publication:

Statistics South Africa. 2004. Census 2001: post-enumeration survey: results and methodology. Report no. 03-02-17 (2001).

Abstract

Stats SA conducted the October Household Survey (OHS) annually from 1994 to 1999, based on a probability sample of a large number of households ranging from 16 000 to 30 000 households each year (depending on availability of funding). This survey was discontinued in 1999 due to the reprioritisation of surveys in the face of financial constraints. February 2000 saw the birth of the Labour Force Survey (LFS), which is a biannual survey conducted by Stats SA in March and September of each year. The LFS covers some areas previously covered by the OHS, but not all, since it is a specialised survey principally designed to measure the dynamics in the labour market. The September LFS each year does include a section designed to measure social indicators such as access to infrastructure, but again this section does not go into as much depth as the OHS used to. A need was therefore identified by our users for a regular survey designed specifically to measure the level of development and the performance of government programmes and projects. The General Household Survey (GHS) was developed for this purpose. While the survey replaces the October Household Survey (OHS), the indicators measured in the 13 nodal areas identified for the Integrated Rural Development Strategy (IRSD) formed the basis for the subject matter of the survey. The first round of the GHS was conducted in July 2002 and the second round in July 2003.

Geographic coverage

The scope of the General Household Survey 2003 was national coverage.

Analysis unit

The units of anaylsis for the General Household Survey 2003 are individuals and households.

Universe

The survey covered all de jure household members (usual residents) of households in the nine provinces of South Africa and residents in workers' hostels. The survey does not cover collective living quarters such as students' hostels, old age homes, hospitals, prisons and military barracks.

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

For the GHS 2003 a multi-stage stratified sample was drawn using probability proportional to size principles.

The sample was drawn from the master sample, which Statistics South Africa uses to draw samples for its regular household surveys. The master sample is drawn from the database of enumeration areas (EAs) established during the demarcation phase of Census 1996. As part of the master sample, small EAs consisting of fewer than 100 households are combined with adjacent EAs to form primary sampling units (PSUs) of at least 100 households, to allow for repeated sampling of dwelling units within each PSU. The sampling procedure for the master sample involves explicit stratification by province and within each province, by urban and non-urban areas. Within each stratum, the sample was allocated disproportionately. A PPS sample of PSUs was drawn in each stratum, with the measure of size being the number of households in the PSU. Altogether approximately 3 000 PSUs were selected. In each selected PSU a systematic sample of ten dwelling units was drawn, thus, resulting in approximately 30 000 dwelling units. All households in the sampled dwelling units were enumerated. The master sample is divided into five independent clusters. In order to avoid respondent fatigue (the LFS is a rotating panel survey which is conducted twice yearly), the GHS sample uses a different cluster from the LFS clusters.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

The GHS 2003 questionnaire collected data on: Household characteristics: Dwelling type, home ownership, access to water and sanitation facilities, access to services, transport, household assets, land ownership, agricultural production Individuals' characteristics: demographic characteristics, relationship to household head, marital status, language, education, employment, income, health, disability, access to social services, mortality. Women's characteristics: fertility

Response rate

Response codes Number of responses % Completed 26 469 84.7 Non-contact 897 2.9 Refusal 645 2.1 Partly completed 18 0.1 Unusable information 1 0.0 Vacant 1 510 4.8 Listing error 246 0.8 Other 1 447 4.6 Total 31 233 100.0

Every person, household and institution present in South Africa on Census Night, 9-10 October 1996, should have been enumerated in Census '96. The intent was to provide a count of all persons present within the territory of the Republic of South Africa at that time. More specifically, the purpose of this census was to collect, process and disseminate detailed statistics on population size, composition and distribution at a small area level. The 1996 South African population Census contains data collected on HOUSEHOLDS and INSTITUTIONS: dwellling type, home ownership, household assets, access to services and energy sources; INDIVIDUALS: age, population group, language, religion, citizenship, migration, fertility, mortality and disability; and economic characteristics of individuals, including employment activities and unemployment.

The Community Survey (CS) is a nationally representative, large-scale household survey which was conducted from February to March 2007. The Community Survey is designed to provide information on the trends and levels of demographic and socio-economic data, such as population size and distribution; the extent of poor households; access to facilities and services, and the levels of employment/unemployment at national, provincial and municipality level. The data can be used to assist government and the private sector in the planning, evaluation and monitoring of programmes and policies. The information collected can also be used to assess the impact of socio-economic policies and provide an indication as to how far the country has gone in its strides to eradicate poverty. Censuses 1996 and 2001 are the only all-inclusive censuses that Statistics South Africa has thus far conducted under the new democratic dispensation. Demographic and socio-economic data were collected and the results have enabled government and all other users of this information to make informed decisions. When cabinet took a decision that Stats SA should not conduct a census in 2006, it created a gap in information or data between Census 2001 and the next Census scheduled to be carried out in 2011. A decision was therefore taken to carry out the Community Survey in 2007. The main objectives of the survey were: · To provide estimates at lower geographical levels than existing household surveys; · To build human, management and logistical capacities for Census 2011; and · To provide inputs into the preparation of the mid-year population projections. The wider project strategic theme is to provide relevant statistical information that meets user needs and aspirations. Some of the main topics that are covered by the survey include demography, migration, disability and social grants, educational levels, employment and economic activities.

Abstract

In October 2001, South Africans were enumerated to collect information on persons and households throughout the country, using a uniform methodology. Household data collected included data on each household and each person present in the household on Census night, as well as data on services available to the household. Data on household residents, and residents of hostels and the other types of collective living quarters was also captured, as well as data on individuals who spent census night in institutions and hotels.

Geographic coverage

The South African Census 2001 has national coverage.

Analysis unit

The units of analysis for the South Africa Census 2001 were households and individuals

Universe

The South African Census 2001 covered every person present in South Africa on Census Night, 9-10 October 2001 including all de jure household members and residents of institutions.

Kind of data

Census/enumeration data [cen]

Sampling procedure

The data in the South African Census 2001 dataset is a 10% unit level sample drawn from Census 2001 as follows: 1) Households: • A 10% sample of households in housing units, and • A 10% sample of collective living quarters (both institutional and non-institutional) and the homeless.

2) Persons: • A sample consisting of all persons in the households and collective living quarters, and the homeless, drawn for the samples described above

3) Mortality: • A sample consisting of all mortality information for the households in housing units drawn in the 10% sample of households.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

Three questionnaires were administered for the South African Census 2001, questionnaire A (for persons in households), questionnaire B (for persons in institutions) and questionnaire C (for institutions). The Household questionnaire covered household characteristics, such as dwellling type, home ownership, household assets, access to services and energy sources. A component of the questionnaire captures fertility data. Both the household and persons in institutions questionnaires collected data on individuals' characteristics, including age, population group, language, religion, citizenship, migration, mortality and disability, as well as means of travel. Economic characteristics of individuals included employment activities and data on unemployment.

Cleaning operations

The following publication can be consulted for a detailed account of the editing undertaken for the South African Census 2001: Computer editing specifications / Statistics South Africa. Pretoria: Statistics South Africa, 2003 369p. [Report No. 03-02-43 (2001)]. ISBN 0-621-34566-0.

Data appraisal

As part of the quality check for Census 2001, a Post-Enumeration Survey (PES) was conducted in November 2001, approximately one month after the census. Fieldworkers re-visited a scientifically selected sample of almost 1% of the census enumeration areas, to do an independent recount. The published census results are adjusted for undercount according to the findings of the PES. In addition to the check on coverage, the PES also involved an independent re-measurement of the basic characteristics of the population. Details on this process are available in the publication:

Statistics South Africa. 2004. Census 2001: post-enumeration survey: results and methodology. Report no. 03-02-17 (2001).

Abstract

The main purpose of the GHS is to measure the level of development and performance of various government programmes and projects in South Africa. The data provides national indicators on various living conditions such as access to services and facilities, and education and health, for 2002.

Geographic coverage

The scope of the General Household Survey 2002 was national coverage.

Analysis unit

The units of anaylsis for the General Household Survey 2002 are individuals and households.

Universe

The survey covered all de jure household members (usual residents) of households in the nine provinces of South Africa and residents in workers' hostels. The survey does not cover collective living quarters such as students' hostels, old age homes, hospitals, prisons and military barracks.

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

For the General Household Survey 2002 a multi-stage stratified sample was drawn using probability proportional to size principles. The first stage was stratification by province, then by type of area within each province. Primary sampling units (PSUs) were then selected proportionally within each stratum (urban or non-urban) in all provinces. Altogether 3000 PSUs were selected. Within each PSU ten dwelling units were selected systematically for enumeration.

The sample was drawn from the master sample, which Statistics South Africa uses to draw samples for its surveys. The master sample was drawn from the database of enumeration areas (EAs) which was established during the demarcation phase of census 1996. As part of the master sample, small EAs consisting of fewer than 100 dwelling units are combined with adjacent EAs to form primary sampling units (PSUs) of at least 100 dwelling units, to allow for repeated sampling of dwelling units within each PSU. The sampling procedure for the master sample involves explicit stratification by province and, within each province, by urban and non-urban areas. Independent samples were drawn from each stratum within each province. The smaller provinces were given a disproportionately larger number of PSUs than the bigger provinces.

The master sample was divided into five independent clusters. In order to avoid respondent fatigue, the sample for GHS was drawn from a different cluster from the two clusters already being used for the LFS, which is a twice-yearly rotating panel survey. Altogether 30 000 dwelling units (including units in hostels) were visited for the GHS 2002.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

The questionnaire was designed taking into consideration the need to compare results of this survey to the one conducted in June 2001 in the 13 nodal areas identified as priority areas for the Integrated Rural Development Strategy (IRDS), namely, the Social Development Indicators Survey (SDIS). The questions in the GHS were similar to the ones used in the SDIS as proposed by representatives of departments in the social cluster of government responsible for implementation of the IRDS.

The GHS 2002 questionnaire collected data on: Household characteristics: Dwelling type, home ownership, access to water and sanitation facilities, access to services, transport, household assets, land ownership, agricultural production Individuals' characteristics: demographic characteristics, relationship to household head, marital status, language, education, employment, income, health, disability, access to social services, mortality. Women's characteristics: fertility

Sampling error estimates

Estimation and use of standard error

The published results of the General Household Survey2002 are based on representative probability samples drawn from the South African population, as discussed in the section on sample design. Consequently, all estimates are subject to sampling variability. This means that the sample estimates may differ from the population figures that would have been produced if the entire South African population had been included in the survey. The measure usually used to indicate the probable difference between a sample estimate and the corresponding population figure is the standard error (SE), which measures the extent to which an estimate may have varied by chance because only a sample of the population was included.

Abstract

The GHS is an annual household survey, specifically designed to measure various aspects of the living circumstances of South African households. The key findings reported here focus on the five broad areas covered by the GHS, namely: education, health, activities related to work and unemployment, housing and household access to services and facilities.

Geographic coverage

The scope of the General Household Survey 2005 was national coverage.

Analysis unit

The units of anaylsis for the General Household Survey 2005 are individuals and households.

Universe

The survey covered all de jure household members (usual residents) of households in the nine provinces of South Africa and residents in workers' hostels. The survey does not cover collective living quarters such as students' hostels, old age homes, hospitals, prisons and military barracks.

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

For the GHS 2005 a multi-stage stratified sample was drawn using probability proportional to size principles. The sample was drawn from the master sample, which Statistics South Africa uses to draw samples for its regular household surveys. The master sample is drawn from the database of enumeration areas (EAs) established during the demarcation phase of Census 2001. As part of the master sample, small EAs consisting of fewer than 100 households are combined with adjacent EAs to form primary sampling units (PSUs) of at least 100 households, to allow for repeated sampling of dwelling units within each PSU. The sampling procedure for the master sample involves explicit stratification by province and within each province, by urban and non-urban areas. Within each stratum, the sample was allocated disproportionately. A PPS sample of PSUs was drawn in each stratum, with the measure of size being the number of households in the PSU. Altogether approximately 3 000 PSUs were selected. In each selected PSU a systematic sample of ten dwelling units was drawn, thus, resulting in approximately 30 000 dwelling units. All households in the sampled dwelling units were enumerated.

The master sample is divided into five independent clusters. In order to avoid respondent fatigue, the Labour Force Survey (LFS) is a rotating panel survey that is conducted twice yearly, whereas the GHS sample uses different clusters.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

The GHS 2005 questionnaire collected data on: Household characteristics: Dwelling type, home ownership, access to water and sanitation facilities, access to services, transport, household assets, land ownership, agricultural production Individuals' characteristics: demographic characteristics, relationship to household head, marital status, language, education, employment, income, health, disability, access to social services, mortality. Women's characteristics: fertility

Response rate

87,5% of the expected 32 146 interviews were successfully completed and positive responses were obtained. It was not possible to complete interviews in 3,8 % of the sampled dwelling units. An additional 8,3% of all interviews were not conducted for various reasons, for instance the sampled dwelling units had become vacant or had changed status (e.g. they were used as shops or small businesses at the time of the enumeration but were originally listed as dwelling units).

Sampling error estimates

Estimation and use of standard error The published results of the General Household Survey are based on representative probability samples drawn from the South African population, as discussed in the section on sample design. Consequently, all estimates are subject to sampling variability. This means that the sample estimates may differ from the population figures that would have been produced if the entire South African population had been included in the survey. The measure usually used to indicate the probable difference between a sample estimate and the corresponding population figure is the standard error (SE), which measures the extent to which an estimate might have varied by chance because only a sample of the population was included. There are two major factors which influence the value of a standard error. The first factor is the sample size. Generally speaking, the larger the sample size, the more precise the estimate and the smaller the standard error. Consequently, in a national household survey such as the GHS, one expects more precise estimates at the national level than at the provincial level due to the larger sample size involved. The second factor is the variability between households of the parameter of the population being estimated, for example, the number of unemployed persons in the household.