73% of Chris Hani Residents Living in Poverty, Report Reveals

Nearly three out of every four residents in the Chris Hani District Municipality are living below the upper poverty line, according to the municipality’s 2024/2025 Final Draft Consolidated Audited Annual Performance Report.

The socio-economic profile contained in the report highlights deep poverty levels, low average income and unemployment close to 50% across the district.

Poverty Levels Continue to Rise

The report states that in 2022, an estimated 649,000 people in the district were living below the upper poverty line. This represents 73.16% of the population, up from 68.68% in 2012.

This means poverty has increased over the past decade rather than declined.

The poverty gap rate — which measures how far below the poverty line poor households are — stood at 31.3% in 2022, compared to 30.4% in 2012. According to the report, this indicates there has been no improvement in the depth of poverty over the period.

Among local municipalities, Engcobo recorded the highest percentage of residents living in poverty at 81.1%, while Inxuba Yethemba recorded the lowest at 55.5%.

Average Income Remains Low

The district recorded a total income of R43.061 billion in 2022, with a population of approximately 887,214 people.

Based on those figures, the estimated average income equates to roughly R48,500 per person per year, or about R4,000 per month per person when averaged across the total population.

The report further shows that Chris Hani accounts for 1.5% of South Africa’s population but only 0.9% of the country’s total income and retail activity, reflecting weaker buying power compared to national averages.

Household income data shows:

• 14.86% of households earn R30,000 or less per year

• The largest income group falls between R54,000 and R72,000 per year

This places many households in an income bracket of approximately R4,500 to R6,000 per month before expenses.

Unemployment Close to 50%

The official unemployment rate in 2022 stood at 49.12% in Chris Hani District.

This is significantly higher than provincial and national averages for the same period.

At local level, Emalahleni recorded unemployment of 58.1%, while Inxuba Yethemba recorded the lowest unemployment rate at 31.0%.

The report notes a clear relationship between unemployment and poverty levels within the district.

Rural Challenges and Infrastructure Gaps

The socio-economic overview also reflects continued infrastructure challenges:

• 27,300 households were without hygienic toilets in 2022

• 18,900 households had no formal piped water

The report further indicates that 63.8% of the district’s population lives in predominantly rural areas, which contributes to structural economic vulnerability.

Economic Outlook

The municipality projects average annual growth of 1.18% between 2022 and 2027. However, the current data reflects a district facing persistent socio-economic challenges.

The report presents a picture of:

• High poverty levels

• Low average income

• Elevated unemployment

• Ongoing service backlogs

These figures form part of the municipality’s annual performance reporting as required by law.