Poverty Trends in South Africa: An Examination of Absolute Poverty Between 2006 and 2023.
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GUEST – Solly Molayi, Acting Deputy Director-General for Population and Social Statistics at Stats SA
South Africa’s poverty landscape is shifting and for the first time in years, the data tells a story of both meaningful progress and persistent structural challenges. Stats SA’s newly released Poverty Trends in South Africa report tracks money-metric poverty from 2006 to 2023, revealing a significant long-term decline. Poverty rates have dropped by 19.6 percentage points, yet 23.2 million people still live below the lower-bound poverty line.
Solly Molayi, Acting Deputy Director-General at Stats SA breaks down these complex findings. He helps us unpack why provinces like KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, Limpopo and North West continue to experience some of the highest poverty levels; why Gauteng despite its economic muscle now accounts for nearly 20% of all poor individuals; and what the data reveals about race, gender, geography and education in shaping who remains vulnerable in South Africa.
South Africa’s poverty landscape is shifting and for the first time in years, the data tells a story of both meaningful progress and persistent structural challenges. Stats SA’s newly released Poverty Trends in South Africa report tracks money-metric poverty from 2006 to 2023, revealing a significant long-term decline. Poverty rates have dropped by 19.6 percentage points, yet 23.2 million people still live below the lower-bound poverty line.
Solly Molayi, Acting Deputy Director-General at Stats SA breaks down these complex findings. He helps us unpack why provinces like KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, Limpopo and North West continue to experience some of the highest poverty levels; why Gauteng despite its economic muscle now accounts for nearly 20% of all poor individuals; and what the data reveals about race, gender, geography and education in shaping who remains vulnerable in South Africa.
