South Africans are seeing better access to electricity, water, and sanitation than they did two decades ago. However, major inequalities between provinces remain, according to the latest General Household Survey (GHS) released by Statistics South Africa.
Statistician-General Risenga Maluleke addressed the media at the Lagoon Beach Hotel on Tuesday, May 26, where findings from the 2025 survey were presented.
The annual survey, conducted since 2002, measures living conditions and tracks service delivery across the country, focusing on areas including housing, education, health, agriculture, food security, and access to basic services.
According to the latest figures, the Western Cape continues to outperform many other provinces in several key areas.
Nationally, household access to electricity increased from 76.6% in 2002 to 90.6% in 2025.
The Western Cape recorded one of the highest rates in the country, improving from 82% to 90.9% over the same period.
Access to improved sanitation - including flush toilets and ventilated pit toilets - also rose significantly nationwide, from 61.7% in 2002 to 84% in 2025.
Maluleke said the Western Cape recorded some of the strongest service delivery figures, with 98% of households having access to piped water and flushing toilets.
By comparison, several rural provinces continue to face serious sanitation challenges.
In Limpopo, only 31.2% of rural households have access to flushing toilets, with many residents still relying on mobile toilets or pit latrines.
The report also highlighted family living arrangements among children in the Western Cape. According to the survey, 53.9% of children lived with both parents, while 30.8% lived only with their mothers and 6% only with their fathers. The remaining 9.3% were being raised by guardians or other caregivers.
Education figures showed that school attendance remained nearly universal up to the age of 15, reaching 97.1%.
However, delayed progression through the school system remains a concern, with 8.8% of 21-year-olds still enrolled in secondary school.
“No-fee schools remained a cornerstone of access, serving 65.1% of learners nationally, although provincial disparities remain pronounced,” said Maluleke.
Medical aid coverage across the country remained largely unchanged at 15.5%, reflecting ongoing inequality in access to private healthcare.
The Western Cape recorded the highest medical aid coverage at 25.9%, followed by Gauteng at 22.1%. Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal recorded the lowest rates at 8.2% and 9.5%, respectively.
The survey further revealed that social grants reached 39.5% of individuals and 50.6% of households nationally by 2025, with nearly a quarter of households relying on grants as their main source of income.
In the Western Cape, 13.9% of households relied primarily on social grants, while 68.2% depended on salaries as their main source of income.
Maluleke said the survey provides insight into both the country’s progress and the challenges that still need to be addressed.
Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Parks Tau, who sat on the panel, said the statistics were around “80% reliable” and remained an important tool for tracking living conditions and service delivery in South Africa.
The statistics paint a mixed picture of progress and inequality across the country - but do these numbers reflect the reality in your community?
Residents are invited to share their experiences regarding service delivery, sanitation, education, healthcare, and the rising cost of living.
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