14 February 2013
R860-billion spent on infrastructure projects, 11-million jobs by 2030 targeted, 200 000 more households with electricity, R47-billion in renewable energy projects under way … take a quick run-through of the figures contained in President Jacob Zuma’s 2013 State of the Nation address.
- 21% – the proportion of South Africa’s exports accounted for by countries in the eurozone, which is still in the throes of a debt crisis.
- 2.5% – South Africa’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth forecast for 2013/14. This is down from a 3.1% growth rate the previous year – and is half the minimum 5% growth rate required to create the amount of new jobs the country needs.
- 11-million – South Africa’s target for new jobs created by 2030, according to the National Development Plan (NDP). The country’s economy will have to grow three-fold for this target to be reached.
- 5 – priorities of the government’s programme of action for 2013: (1) education, (2) health, (3) the fight against crime, (4) creating decent work, and (5) rural development and land reform.
- R860-billion – the amount the government will have spent on infrastructure between 2009 and March this year.
- 675 – kilometres of electricity transmission lines have been laid in the last year to connect fast-growing economic centres and to bring power to rural areas.
- R47-billion – the value of contracts for renewable energy projects signed last year by the government and various independent power producers.
- 28 – the number of wind, solar and small hydro projects that have begun to be developed in the Eastern Cape, Western Cape, Northern Cape and Free State under the renewable energy programme.
- R400-million – the value of investments in green economy projects so far approved under the R800-million national green fund established by the government last year.
- 315 000 – the number of state-subsidised solar geysers rolled out since January this year. Most of these were installed in poor households, many of whom had never had running hot water before.
- 200 000 – the number of new households connected to the national electricity grid in 2012.
- 12.1-million – the number of South African households that now have access to electricity, amounted to 85% of all households.
- 9 out of 10 – the proportion of South African households with access to running water.
- 7 000 – new fibre-optic cables laid out in South Africa last year by private and public sector companies.
- 100% – South Africa’s target for broadband internet penetration by 2020.
- 98 – the number of new schools that will have been built in South Africa between March 2012 and March 2013. More than 40 of these will have replaced “mud schools” in the Eastern Cape.
- 2 – new universities to be built, starting in September 2013, one in the Northern Cape, one in Mpumalanga.
- R3-billion – the value of projects so far approved under the Jobs Fund established in 2010/11.
- One-third – the proportion of South Africa’s population that is under the age of 15. Agreement has now been reached on a number of key incentives to tackle the country’s youth unemployment crisis.
- 11 000 – the number of graduates of Further Education and Training (FET) colleges who are currently awaiting job placements. President Zuma appealed to the private sector to take them on.
- 11 740 – the number of young South Africans enrolled in various training programmes under the National Rural Youth Services Corps run by the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform.
- 10.7% – the rate of growth of tourist arrivals in South Africa between January and September 2012, compared to a global average of 4%.
- 73% – the proportion of the world’s rhino population being conserved in South Africa, which has resulted in the country being targeted by international poaching syndicates. The government is working with recipient and transit countries such as Vietnam, Thailand and China, and is intensifying its efforts to combat the scourge.
- R126-million – the amount committed to the Human Settlements Development Grant between April and December 2012, in order to deliver houses to people in the “gap market” – that is, people who earn too much to qualify for an RDP house but too little to qualify for a bank mortgage bond. R70-million of this amount has been used so far to finance eight “gap” housing projects.
- 2.2-million – the number of people reached by the government’s adult education programme, Khari Gude, between 2008 and 2011.
- 60 – the age at which musician Sipho Hotstix Mabuse, a guest at President Zuma’s address, obtained his matric last year.
- 60 – South Africans’ average life expectancy in 2011, up from 56 in 2009.
- 1913 – the year in which the infamous Land Act which turned black South Africans into wanderers, labourers and pariahs in their own land was passed. South Africa marks its centenary in June.
- 63% – the proportion of South Africa’s population now living in urban areas. This is likely to increase to over 70% by 2030.
- 363 – the number of life sentences secured in 2012/13 by the country’s Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Units – representing a conviction rate of 73% for crimes against women above 18 years old and 70% for crimes against children under 18 years of age.
SAinfo reporter
