South Africa has seen remarkable improvements in infrastructure and overall living conditions over the past two decades, according to the General Household Survey 2023 released by Statistics South Africa on Thursday.
Statistician-General Risenga Maluleke highlighted that more than 83.5 percent of South African households resided in formal dwellings in 2023, a significant rise from 73.5 percent in 2002. This reflects concerted efforts to enhance housing conditions across the nation.
While the proportion of households living in informal settlements has shown minor fluctuations since 2002, there has been a slight decline from 13 percent to 12.2 percent. “The improvement in housing quality is also evident in the availability of drinking water,” Maluleke noted. From 2002 to 2023, the proportion of households with access to piped or tap water either on-site or off-site increased by 2.6 percentage points, reaching 87 percent.
Sanitation has also seen notable advancements. Since 2002, the percentage of households with upgraded sanitation facilities, including flush toilets and pit toilets with ventilation pipes, surged from 61.7 percent to 83.3 percent by 2023.
The survey revealed that a typical South African household consists of about 3.2 members. Approximately 26.5 percent of households are single-member, 87 percent of homes have four to five members or fewer, while only 13 percent of households contain six members or more.
Despite these improvements, Maluleke acknowledged that inequalities persist, necessitating sustained efforts to address infrastructure gaps, promote inclusive development, and build community resilience to future challenges.
The General Household Survey 2023 underscores the progress made in enhancing living conditions in South Africa but also serves as a reminder of the ongoing work required to ensure equitable development for all citizen.
