The report, which was published on 15 September 2011, focuses on spending patterns and living circumstances of households at a national and provincial level in 2008 /09. Three further reports will be released later in 2011:

• Poverty profile of South Africa
• Subjective poverty
• Men, women and children

The findings reveal that poverty remains a dominant feature in South African households and that the poorer the household, the less access members have to adequate services to maintain an adequate and healthy standard of living. In addition, the results indicate marked inequities in poverty levels and the adequacy of living standards according to a household’s race, gender of the household head, provincial location of the household, and the rural or urban location of the household.

Black African households are the poorest in the country, and their positions have not improved significantly when compared to the earlier comparable survey. In fact there is evidence of deterioration of the position of the poorest of this group of households. In 2005/2006, 24,8% of Black African households fell into the poorest quintile – 1; in 2008/2009 that number has increased to 25,0%. In 2205/2006, only 7, 9% of Black African households fell into the wealthiest quintile – 5; today that figure remains almost unchanged at 8, 1%.

Other findings include the following:

• More than 80% of the annual household consumption expenditure was contributed to the two top wealthiest quintiles (4 and 5) while less than 10% was contributed by the bottom two quintiles.
• Only 8, 2% of Black African households fall into quintile 5 compared to 27,3% Coloured and 80,8% White households. More than 50% of Black African households fall into quintiles 1 and 2.
• Limpopo has the highest number of poor households falling into quintile 1 (35,2%), with more than half the households in this province falling into quintiles 1 and 2 (61,4%).
• Female-headed households are poorer than their male counterparts. 43,8% of households in South Africa are female-headed. 22, 8% of these households fall into quintile 1, compared to 18, 1% of male headed households. Only 31, 1% fall into quintiles 4 or 5, compared to 45, 8% of the male-headed households.
• Households in urban informal settlements had the largest proportion of households in quintile 1 (36, 1%) and only 1,7% in quintile 1. Those in tribal areas and rural areas had 32, 6% and 27, 5% in quintile 1, with a total of 83, 2 % in quintiles 1, 2 and 3.
• The majority of households in urban areas (both formal and informal) live within 2 kilometres of their nearest clinic, compared to 51, 2% of rural households which live more than 10 kilometres away from their nearest clinic.
• Almost 50% of households had between 1 and 3 children living in them.
• 60, 9% of child headed households were found in quintile 1.
• The average household consumption expenditure was R71,910.00 per annum. However provinces like Limpopo have a much lower average expenditure of R40,745. 00.
• Poorer households spend most of their income on food and non-alcoholic beverages; whereas households in the wealthier quintiles spend more on housing, electricity, water, etc.
• 41, 4% of households reported having a flushing toilet inside their home, and 17% a flushing toilet on site. However, only 8,5% of households in the poorest quintile have a flushing toilet on their house compared to 95% in the top quintile.
• In the lowest quintile, 11, 8% of households have no access to rubbish removal of any kind, compared to 0, 3% in the top quintile.
• 12, 6% of households said their food consumption was not adequate and male-headed households spend more on food than their female counterparts.
• In 13% of households, there is not always an adult at home when children under the age of 10 are at home.
• Only 36,3% of households had access to children’s playgrounds.

The survey findings are cause for concern on the ECD front. They indicate clearly that young children living in poor households, especially those in rural areas, those headed by women and those in the predominantly rural areas and the urban informal settlements, are systematically deprived of easy access, or any access at all, to key services necessary for adequate early childhood development. This includes compromised access to food, health care, sanitation, and electricity (or a safe source of energy), as well as access to adult care and protection at home and safe play areas such as parks. This calls for greater energy in advocating for the realisation of the national ECD goals as articulated in the National Integrated Plan for ECD of improved access to essential elements of ECD. These efforts must target the identified vulnerable communities.

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