- Stats SA says twenty-three million people are poor with KZN now worse off than Limpopo and the Eastern Cape.
- The Western Cape has the lowest poverty rate while government grants are the only thing keeping many families alive.
KwaZulu-Natal has a new title, but it is not one to celebrate.
The province has officially become the poorest in South Africa.
According to the latest data from Statistics South Africa, almost half of the people in KZN are living in poverty.
Limpopo used to hold this sad record. However, Limpopo has made progress, dropping its poverty rate from 66% in 2015 to 47.6% in 2023.
Now, KZN has taken the top spot.
Nationally, the picture is grim. About 23 million South Africans are classified as poor. The North West and Eastern Cape also rank above the national average.
Statistician-General Risenga Maluleke says that even where numbers have improved, it does not mean people have jobs.
"You don't have to be working to have income," Maluleke said.
He explained that government grants are the only policy intervention keeping many families afloat.
The most heartbreaking statistic concerns the youth. Children make up over 43% of the poor in South Africa.
On the other side of the scale, the Western Cape has the lowest poverty levels in the country - more than 50% lower than in KZN.
