The percentage of South Africans receiving social grants increased from 13% in 2003 to 40% in 2024

In the Eastern Cape, Free State, Limpopo, Northern Cape, and Mpumalanga, more people receive social grants than earn a salary.

Statistics South Africa’s 2024 General Household Survey (GHS) revealed that reliance on government funding is growing. This survey examines the quality of life and access to essential services.

In 2003, the proportion of individuals receiving social grants was 12.8%. That increased to 30.9% in 2019 and surged to 40.1% in 2024 due to the introduction of the special COVID-19 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant.

That means four of every 10 households in South Africa rely on social grants. Similarly, the percentage of households that received grants concurrently increased from 30.8% to 50.4%.

Grants were the second most important source of income after salaries. More than one-fifth (23.8%) of households indicated that grants were their primary source of income.

A larger percentage of households received grants compared to salaries as a source of income in five provinces. These were:

Province	Social grants	Salaries
Eastern Cape	65.6%	49.0%
Free State	64.2%	54.6%
Limpopo	62.9%	50.4%
Northern Cape	64.0%	60.5%
Mpumalanga	59.1%	56.8%

Grants were particularly important as a main source of income for households in the Eastern Cape (38.9%), the Northern Cape (34.4%), and Limpopo (33.8%).

Due to the rising cost of living in South Africa, many people are struggling to make ends meet. For many households, even the necessary expenses are unaffordable.

This includes medical aid. Stats SA revealed that, in 2024, approximately three out of twenty South Africans had access to a medical aid scheme. Coverage slightly declined from 15.9% in 2002 to 15.5% in 2024.

The highest coverage rates were in the Western Cape, at 25.4%, and Gauteng, at 21.3%. At 10.0% and 10.2%, respectively, Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal had the lowest rates.

Many South Africans also struggle to afford food. The percentage of households with limited access to food decreased from 23.6% in 2010 to 17.8% in 2019. However, in 2024, it increased notably to 22.2%.

Simultaneously, the percentage of persons with more limited access to food declined from 25.2% in 2011 to 19.5% in 2019 before increasing to 25.2% by 2024.

Improvements are being made

Fortunately, while many South Africans are still under immense financial pressure, improvements have been made in basic service delivery.

Statistician-General Risenga Maluleke explained that the data reflected steady progress since the survey’s inception in 2002.

“There are a lot of improvements,” Maluleke said. “But some provinces do still face challenges depending on which service you are looking at.”

According to the report, education levels are improving in the country. The percentage of individuals aged 20 years and older without education decreased from 11.4% in 2002 to 3.0% in 2024.

At the same time, those with at least a grade 12 qualification increased from 30.5% to 52.1%. Inter-generational functional illiteracy – where individuals have not attained grade 7 – has also decreased markedly.

Although 33.1% of South Africans over the age of 60 were still functionally illiterate, this figure dropped to only 3.1% for those aged 20-39.

Stats SA’s survey also showed that the percentage of households that lived in formal dwellings increased from 73.5% in 2002 to 84.1% in 2024.

Nationally, three-fifths – 60.1% – of households owned the dwelling they lived in. A further 25.1% rented their dwellings.

Between 2002 and 2024, the percentage of households with access to piped or tap water in their dwellings, off-site or on-site, increased by 3.3 percentage points to 87.7%.

Households with access to piped water in their dwellings increased from 40.4% to 46.4%. The percentage of households with access to municipal water also increased from 78.4% in 2004 to 79.8% in 2024.

This represents a 6.3 million increase in households. Additionally, access to improved sanitation – flush toilets and pit toilets with ventilation pipes – increased from 61.7% in 2002 to 83.1% in 2024.

The largest increases were observed in the Eastern Cape (56.5%), Limpopo (35.3%) and KwaZulu-Natal (26.9%). Approximately two-thirds (66.7%) of households used flush toilets, up from 57.3% in 2002.

Another 16.3% used pit toilets with ventilation pipes, up from 4.4% in 2002. Less than 1% of households did not have access to any form of sanitation. While 46.2% of toilet facilities were in the dwelling, 49.9% were in the yard.

Access to mains electricity also increased notably since 2002, from 76.7% to 90.2% in 2024. Improved access to electricity has had significant implications for households.

Access to electricity has enabled wider use of household electrical appliances. Almost nine-tenths (88.3%) of households owned an electric stove, up from 78.7% in 2012.

In addition, 80.9% of households revealed that they owned a fridge, up from 70.1% in 2012. About 59.3% of households owned a microwave oven.

However, the report revealed that more than one-third (35.9%) of households experienced loadshedding or power interruptions the week before being interviewed.