Living Conditions and Communications

The Living Conditions and Communications chapter challenges the widely held belief that service delivery in South Africa has failed. The chapter commences with a broad overview of living conditions in 2009 before providing an assessment of changes in living conditions over the past 13 years. Without exception both the number and the proportion of households with access to services have improved – often substantially. The chapter then reviews progress in land reform before providing specific and detailed data on access to clean water, sanitation services, housing, energy, and refuse removal. Much of this data is provided on a provincial basis and incorporates trends over time. Information is then provided on service delivery backlogs. The chapter further provides data on access to financial services, broadcasting services, postal services, telecommunications including internet access, and transport. The chapter’s 90 pages include the most concise and up to date information tracking South Africa’s progress in improving the living conditions of its people. It is essential material for planners in Government, civil society, and the private business sector.

LIVING CONDITIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS

THE LIVING CONDITIONS PICTURE
South African living conditions at a glance 2009

OVERVIEW OF CHANGES                                                                           
Changes over thirteen years                                                          
Changes by household (actual numbers), 1996 and 2009         
Household and housing changes, 1996 and 2009 (actual numbers)
Household types and facilities by proportion, and changes in proportions, 1996 and 2009                                             

LAND REFORM                                                                                            

Land restitution
Land restitution claims and settlements by province, 1995–2009
Restitution claims settled/to be settled, 2009
Outstanding restitution claims by province as at March 2009  

Land redistribution
Land Redistribution for Agricultural Development (LRAD)
 under the Land and Agrarian Reform Programme (LARP):
 delivery figures and targets by province, 2008/09
Land redistribution progress as at March 2009
Land redistribution progress by province as at March 2009
Number of outstanding hectares to be distributed by province as at March 2009
The 30% land-redistribution-by-2025 scenario
Total estimated funding required and funding at current baseline for land redistribution, 2008/09–2024/25                

Land tenure reform                                                                               

WATER AND SANITATION                                                                         

Water
Free basic water
Delivery of free basic water by province by 31 March 2010
Households with access to free basic water 2001/02–2008/09
Proportion of households with access to free basic water, 2001/02–2008/09
All water
National data
Household water sources by race, 2009 (actual numbers)
Household water sources by race, 2009 (proportions)
Change in household water sources by race 1996–2009 (actual numbers)
Household access to potable water, 1993/94–2008/09
Households without water in the dwelling or on site by race and distance travelled to nearest water source, 2009
Households with piped water in dwelling by race and location of African households, 1998 and 2006
Provincial data
Access to piped water by province, 1996 and 2009 (actual numbers)
Access to piped water by province, 1996 and 2009 (proportions)
Selected water indicators by province, 2009 (proportions)
Water interruptions
Households that experienced water interruptions by province, 2009
Water quality
Drinking water quality management systems assessed, 2009 and 2010
National municipal blue drop performance, 2010
National top 10 blue drop performers, 2010
Water services authorities not assessed, 2010
International comparisons
Urban and rural populations with access to improved water source, selected countries, 2006                                           

Sanitation
National data
Household sanitation facility by race, 2009 (actual numbers)
Household sanitation facility by race, 2009 (proportions)
Change in household sanitation facility by race 1996–2009 (actual numbers)
Households with and without access to sanitation, 1993/94–2008/09
Households with flush toilet in dwelling by race and location of African households, 1998 and 2006
Provincial data
Selected sanitation indicators by province, 2009 (actual numbers)
Selected sanitation indicators by province, 2009 (proportions)
Waste water quality
Provincial risk profiles of waste water treatment plants, 2009
Waste water quality management systems assessment, 2009
National municipal green drop performance, 2009
Green drop status awards, 2009
International comparisons
Population with access to improved sanitation facilities, selected countries, 2006                                                       

HOUSING                                                                                                     

Housing types
National data
Detailed breakdown
Households by type of dwelling and race, 1996 and 2009 (actual numbers)
Households by type of dwelling and race, 1996 and 2009 (proportions)
Summary of changes
Types of housing occupied, 1996 and 2009
Types of housing occupied, 1996
Types of housing occupied, 2009
Changes in housing types, 1996–2009 (actual numbers)
Urban/rural breakdown
Households residing in formal housing by race and location of African households, 1998 and 2006
Backyard structures
Changes in the number of all backyard stuctures, 1996 and 2009 (actual numbers)
Changes in the number of all backyard stuctures, 1996 and 2009 (proportions)
Breakdown of backyard structures, 1996
Breakdown of backyard structures, 2009
Provincial data
All housing
Types of housing by province, 1996 and 2009 (actual numbers)
Types of housing by province, 1996 and 2009 (proportions)
Change in types of housing by province, 1996-2009 (actual numbers)
Change in types of housing by province, 1996–2009 (proportions)
Informal dwellings
Households residing in informal dwellings by province, 1996 and 2009 (actual numbers)
Households residing in informal dwellings by province, 1996 and 2009 (proportions)
Services available to informal dwellings, 2009
Municipal data
Types of housing by municipality, 2009

Terms of occupation
National data
All housing types
Household tenure status by race and sex, 2009 (actual numbers)
Household tenure status by race and sex, 2009 (proportions)
Household tenure status by race, 2009
Household tenure status by sex, 2009
Formal housing
Household tenure status of people residing in formal dwellings, 2009 (actual numbers)
Household tenure status of people residing in formal dwellings, 2009 (proportions)
Provincial data
Household tenure status by province, 2009 (actual numbers)
Household tenure status by province, 2009 (proportions)
Municipal data
Tenure status by municipality, 2009
International data
Household size and housing ownership, selected countries

Housing provision
Housing backlog
Annual housing backlog figures, 1996/97–2008/09
New deadline for eradicating housing backlog
National affordable housing needs, 2003–2010
Government and private sector housing
Private sector and government housing construction, 1997/98–2008/09
Government subsidy housing
Houses completed or under construction by province, April 1994-March 2009
Qualifying criteria for government subsidy housing
Planned units and units completed/in progress, 1994/95–2008/09
RDP/state subsidised housing indicators by province, 2009
Investigations, arrests, and convictions in housing subsidy fraud cases as at August 2010
Private sector housing
Residential buildings completed by the private sector by size, 2003–2009

DOMESTIC ENERGY

Sources of energy
Household sources of energy by race, 2009 (actual numbers and proportions)

Electrification
Electricity use by sector
Households without electricity and households added to the national grid, 1994/95–2007/08
Households using electricity for lighting by race and location of African households, 1998 and 2006
Households using electricity or gas for cooking by race and location of African households, 1998 and 2006
Proportion of households with and without electricity by province, 2009
Electricity for lighting, cooking, and heating by province, 2009 (proportions)

REFUSE DISPOSAL
Household refuse disposal by race, 2009 (actual numbers)
Household refuse disposal by race, 2009 (proportions)
Proportion of households whose refuse is removed by municipalities by province, 2002 and 2009 (proportions)

BACKLOGS AND BASIC SERVICES
Backlogs by province, 2009
Provincial breakdown of consumer units receiving free basic services from municipalities, June 2009
Services available to informal dwellings, 2009

MUNICIPAL LIVING CONDITIONS
Living conditions indicators by municipality, 2009

FINANCIAL SERVICES
Number of banked and unbanked adults by income source, 2008
Proportion of each race with bank accounts, 2008
Banking products used by race, 2007
Breakdown of clients by bank, 2008

COMMUNICATIONS

Broadcasting
Households with television sets and radios, 2002–08
Top ten commercial radio stations by listenership, March 2009

Postal services
Postal services by race, 2007 (actual numbers)
Postal services by race, 2007 (proportions)
Households with and without postal facilities by province, 2007                                                                                   

Telecommunications
Telephones
Breakdown of households by landline access and race, 2009 (actual numbers)
Breakdown of households by landline access and race, 2009 (proportions)
Breakdown of households by cellular phone access and race, 2009 (actual numbers)
Breakdown of households by cellular phone access and race, 2009 (proportions)
Households with a landline telephone in dwelling or cellular phone by race and location of African households, 1998 and 2006
Access to all telephones by province, 2009
Access to fixed line and cellular telephones, selected countries, 2008
The internet
Internet usage by race, June 2010 (proportions)
Internet access by province, 2009
Internet users per 100 people, selected African countries, 2008
Internet users, selected countries, 2008
Information Communication Technology (ICT) uptake per 100 people, 2008
ICT uptake per 100 people 2008
Communications by municipality
Access to communication services by municipality, 2009

Transportation
Public transport
Proportion of commuters by mode of transport, 2008
Vehicle statistics
Registered vehicles by province, March 2007 and September 2009
Motorised vehicles registered by year-end, December 1999–September 2009
Road accidents
Number of fatal crashes and fatalities by province, 2006/07 and 2008/09
Number of fatalities per type of vehicle, 2008/09
Number of fatalities per road user group by province, 2008/09