Attempting to describe the living conditions of South African citizens as a whole to an outsider can be quite the challenge for anyone. There is such a stark contrast in the realities of different communities that any attempt to do so can easily be distorted depending on whichever group you ask.
Statistics South Africa regularly collects statistics on these conditions, so it would be intriguing to delve deeper into what story the statistics tell and figuring out which of the four biggest metropolitan cities, Johannesburg, Tshwane, eThekwini and Cape Town, has the most access to facilities that improve basic human life.
The metrics by which these are measured include: access to piped water; toilet facilities; access to electricity and access to the internet. The sad reality is that, even though South Africa has a portion of its population living in ostentatious luxury, there is still an unfortunately significant proportion of the population with no access to piped water or even a flush toilet which, for a country with a GDP per capita of 7 346 US dollars, is not a pretty reality.
Of all four metros, City of Cape Town had the highest percentage of households with access to piped water inside their dwellings. with 75% of households at the last census. This was followed by City of Johannesburg with 64.7%, City if Tshwane at 64.2% and, eThekwini lagging behind at 60.2%. Thus, at least 15% of the population in each city has to go outside to get water, which is a concerning stat considering how harsh conditions can be in winter for some parts of the country. The story with toilet facilities is quite similar, with the City of Cape Town leading the way – 88.2% of the population has access to a flush toilet connected to sewerage – and eThekwini last with 63.4%.
Access to electricity sees much higher numbers, even if not perfect. The lowest by this metric is the City of Tshwane. with only 88.6% of their population having access to electricity for light, and the highest being the City of Cape Town where 94% of the population has access to electric power. Nestled in between them are the City of Johannesburg, featuring in second place with 90.8%, and eThekwini in third with 89.9%. With electricity being such a great need these days, it is a bit encouraging that there is at least a sizeable proportion of the population with access to it.
Something else that is growing, is the role of the internet in our lives. Accelerated even further by the lockdowns brought upon us by the COVID-19 pandemic, our need for the internet is at an all time high. It has permeated into just about all aspects of our lives, with anything, from work to school, needing to be conducted over the internet at various points during the past 12 months. It is very disconcerting then to learn that, in all the metros, more than 50% of the population is without internet access, whether at home or anywhere in close vicinity.
It is quite clear from the statistics that the City of Cape Town is a much better provider of basic services than any other metros in this country. However, this cannot be a reason to celebrate because much improvement is needed on all fronts to improve the lives of the average South African, especially in the township and rural areas.
