Cape Town – South Africa’s Census 2022 national results reveal a significant increase in ownership of refrigerators, televisions, and cellphones.
The data from Census 2022 was handed over to President Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday
It shows that 92.1% of households now own a working cellphone, a substantial rise from 3.3% in 2001.
“The overwhelming majority (92.1%) of households in the country owned a cellphone in working order, a notable increase from the 3.3% in 2001. Just under four-fifths (79%) of households owned televisions compared to the 52.6% in 2001,” Statistician-General Risenga Maluleke said.
The ownership of refrigerators and freezers has increased from 53.8% in 2001 to 83.2% in 2022.
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On the flip side, radio ownership has decreased from 73% in 2001 to 50.3% in 2022. Additionally, landline telephone ownership has experienced a downward trend from 2001 to 2022.
The report also notes an increase in households residing in formal dwellings, which include structures like brick houses, flats, and apartments. Informal dwelling occupancy has halved from 16.2% in 1996 to 8.1% in 2022.
Access to the internet has seen substantial growth, with a decrease in households without internet access from 64.8% in 2011 to 21.1% in 2022. Mobile devices have become a primary means of internet access, with 60.5% of households using them in 2022.
The census data also indicates an increase in the number of immigrants in South Africa, with more male immigrants, predominantly between the ages of 20 and 44. The top five sending countries include Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Lesotho, Malawi, and the United Kingdom, while countries like Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Bangladesh have moved up the ranks as sending nations.
Notably, China dropped out of the top 20 sending countries, and Ghana entered the top 20 in 2022.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
