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A Stats SA fieldworker conducts a census count in Soweto, Johannesburg, in this 2022 file photo. Picture: PAPI MORAKE/GALLO IMAGES
A Stats SA fieldworker conducts a census count in Soweto, Johannesburg, in this 2022 file photo. Picture: PAPI MORAKE/GALLO IMAGES

SA faces a multitude of challenges that require a lucid understanding of the underlying realities, to enable policymakers a fighting chance at reinstalling dignity and building a better life for all South Africans.  

We all agree that our path to a more equitable and prosperous future hinges on our ability to tackle the triple challenges of poverty, inequality and unemployment through interventions such as educating and skilling the youth, creating an enabling environment for economic growth and job creation and ensuring redress to the injustices of apartheid, whose effect continues to be woven in the fabric of our society.  

Stats SA, our national statistical agency, plays a crucial, yet often underappreciated, role in how we craft our developmental agenda as a nation.  

As the republic’s data custodian, Stats SA collects and analyses information on various socioeconomic indicators. This includes critical data on demographics, income levels, labour markets, economic growth, price dynamics, education attainment and living conditions.

This rich tapestry of data serves as the bedrock for informed decision-making by policymakers at all levels, thereby inculcating an empirical approach to our country’s development.

By analysing trends and patterns within the data, Stats SA helps pinpoint areas requiring urgent attention. For instance, data on unemployment rates can guide government initiatives towards sectors with the most significant job creation potential. Similarly, education data can highlight regions lacking access to quality schooling, allowing for targeted resource allocation.  

Socioeconomic development is not a one-time event but rather an ongoing process. Stats SA’s data provides a crucial tool for monitoring progress and measuring the effectiveness of implemented policies. By comparing data sets over time, policymakers can assess whether interventions are yielding desired results, allowing for course corrections and adjustments where necessary. 

In a world rife with misinformation, access to reliable data fosters transparency and accountability. Stats SA’s freely available data empowers citizens to hold government accountable for its development efforts. Additionally, transparency in data collection and analysis builds trust between the public and policymakers, facilitating more collaborative approaches to socioeconomic challenges. 

Ensuring data accuracy, promoting data literacy and keeping pace with evolving technologies while protecting the independence of the organisation are some key areas of focus for this seventh administration through this agency.  

The operating model within Stats SA is being reviewed and adapted to fit the needs of an evolving society. Stats SA will continue to deploy and integrate innovative methodologies that were developed over the past years into the operating model. Most importantly, the investment in technology to modernise the statistics value chain will continue to increase their efficiency. 

The highest priority for the organisation is about sustaining and protecting the quality of official statistics and national indicators. Our national statistics agency is committed to delivering its suite of official statistics even amid a challenging and declining resource environment. 

Stats SA has adopted a change agenda with the strategic goals of:

  • Harnessing alternative data sources to augment official statistics in the future;  
  • Transforming the skills set and investing in new capabilities such as data science and data analytics;  
  • Creating an agile operating model by modernising and digitalising the statistical value chain to unearth smarter and more sustainable ways to operate; and  
  • Leveraging innovative technologies and methodologies as a building block for an interconnected statistical system for the entire data ecosystem.  

In October 2023, Stats SA delivered the results of the first digital census to the nation. The population census offers us the most comprehensive set of statistical information to the lowest geographic level. 

Recent concerns regarding the quality of the 2022 census data underscore the importance of continuous debate and scientific enquiry on the products of Stats SA. The agency has committed to upholding data accuracy through rigorous quality checks at every stage of the census process, including the post enumeration survey (PES). The statistician-general, Risenga Maluleke, has openly addressed these concerns and is working tirelessly to foster public trust in data integrity.  

Stats SA’s role in SA’s socioeconomic development is undeniable. By providing the foundation for informed decision-making, monitoring progress, and fostering transparency, Stats SA is a world-class state institution working towards a brighter future for all South Africans.  

• Mhlauli is deputy minister in the presidency, responsible for Stats SA and other agencies.  

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