By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) is going to change the questionnaire it uses to collect the country’s employment data, with significant shifts expected in data related to the informal sector.
This comes after the country’s official statistical agency entered into discussions with Capitec former CEO Gerrie Fourie earlier this year, following the latter’s criticism of a lack of data about the informal sector.
South Africa has a giant informal sector, with some estimates placing this economy’s value between R600 billion and R750 billion.
The statistics agency released the latest unemployment data on Tuesday, with the jobless rate rising by 0.3 of a percentage point to sit at a hot 33.2% in the second quarter.
Stats SA said the revised model was set to capture a more nuanced understanding of employment trends, economic participation, and the overall labour market in South Africa.
The adoption of the framework is expected to significantly alter informality data.
In a statement the agency said, “Since 2024, Stats SA has engaged in a transparent and consultative process with stakeholders and labour market data users to align the QLFS with the latest resolutions of the International Conference of Labour Statisticians (ICLS).
“This process included engagement with key stakeholders, questionnaire testing (including pilot tests), culminating in the planned implementation of the updated questionnaire in the third quarter of 2025.
“In line with international statistical standards, when new variables or concepts are introduced into an official survey, Stats SA is obliged to communicate such changes publicly. The recent communiqué on the QLFS update serves this purpose and is unrelated to any individual’s commentary on unemployment statistics.
Stats SA remains committed to transparency, methodological rigour, and adherence to international statistical best practice in all its surveys, concluded the statement.