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Ramaphosa enacts Statistics Amendment Act to overhaul national data collection
Ramaphosa Signs New Statistics Law: What It Means for South Africa
President Cyril Ramaphosa has officially put the Statistics Amendment Act into effect, bringing sweeping changes to how South Africa collects and manages its data. The law, first tabled in Parliament in October 2023 and signed in December 2024, comes after a ten-month wait on the President’s desk and marks a major step in modernising the country’s national statistics system.
The aim of the law is clear: to streamline collaboration between data producers and users, ensuring that government, businesses, and researchers can access high-quality, reliable statistics to guide decision-making across the country.
Census Changes: Every Ten Years, Not Five
One of the most noticeable changes under the new law is the census interval. The law officially moves the national census from a five-year cycle to every ten years, aligning legislation with long-standing practice.
Stats SA had already been conducting the census roughly every decade, 2001, 2011, and 2022, despite previous laws requiring a five-year cycle. While this shift formalises current practice, it also draws attention back to the 2022 census, which was plagued by controversy.
According to experts, the 2022 Census may have undercounted 31% of people and 30% of households, with urban areas like Johannesburg reportedly undercounted by 16%. The cost of the exercise, a staggering R4 billion has raised questions about resource allocation, particularly when municipalities may receive less funding than they deserve due to inaccurate population counts.
Professor Tom Moultrie, a demographer at the University of Cape Town, noted that the 2022 undercount is the highest ever recorded by the UN Population Division, highlighting systemic challenges including underfunding, Covid-19 disruptions, and social unrest.
Why Accurate Data Matters
Census data isn’t just numbers on a page. It underpins everything from population planning and service delivery to economic forecasting and business investment. An undercount of even a few percent can skew municipal budgets, impact education planning, and affect healthcare resource allocation.
With the new law, the government hopes to strengthen its coordination and strategy, making sure that future censuses and data collection efforts are more reliable and comprehensive.
BELA Updates: Schools in the Spotlight
Alongside the Statistics Amendment Act, Parliament has also updated progress on the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act (BELA). The Department of Basic Education is currently drafting Afrikaans versions of regulations on school admissions and capacity, while public comment on these regulations has been extended to 5 December 2025.
The regulations have sparked debate, particularly regarding admission policies. While the draft regulations suggest considering the demographics of the ‘surrounding community’, critics like ANC Portfolio Committee Chairperson Joy Maimela argue that the law itself assigns responsibility to the Head of Department and broader Education Districts, not localised demographics.
This tension reflects wider political and ideological divides, with the ANC having developed BELA under the previous administration and the current DA-led department now implementing it, raising questions about intent and adherence to the law’s original framework.
Public Reaction and Social Context
On social media, many South Africans expressed concern over the census undercount, warning that misrepresentation of population numbers could continue to shortchange vulnerable communities. Some praised the Statistics Amendment Act for formalising long-standing census practice, while others warned it could entrench systemic inaccuracies if underlying issues aren’t addressed.
Meanwhile, BELA’s admission regulations continue to ignite debate among parents, school governing bodies, and political parties, particularly around issues of equity, language, and access to quality education.
The Statistics Amendment Act is more than a bureaucratic update, it’s a statement of intent. South Africa is signalling a push for better data governance, more coordinated statistical operations, and a commitment to using evidence-based insights to shape the country’s future.
Yet, as the 2022 census undercount demonstrates, the success of these measures will depend on implementation, funding, and public trust. With the next census now scheduled for 2032, stakeholders will be watching closely to see whether these reforms translate into accurate, actionable data that benefits all South Africans.
Download Statistics-Amendment-Act
{Source: BusinessTech}
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