OUR IMPACT ON
LIMPOPO

Limpopo is a South African province bordering Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. Known as South Africa’s best kept secret, Limpopo province has a 3.7 poverty headcount.

With poverty being at 11.5%, the triple challenge of unemployment, inequality and poverty is visible as reflected in the poverty index of 42.3%.
Operation Hunger has developed the data below to provide an updated review of the province’s drivers and determinants of Limpopo.

At the underlying level, nutrition equity is caused by the way that people’s everyday social, psychological/behavioural and material circumstances interact with their wider environments.

These environments include: access to adequate and quality food; provision for infant care; healthcare environments; and wider living environments (including sanitation and opportunities for physical activity).

Operation Hunger has put together the latest data using the conceptual framework consistent with the determinants of undernutrition and prevalence of malnutrition to comprehensively elucidate barriers and opportunities leading to unhealthy nutrition outcomes.

Regional/Provincial Data

Economic Data

  • Agriculture 2% 2%
  • Manufacturing 3% 3%
  • Construction 3% 3%
  • Mining 28% 28%
The contribution of the different sectors to job creation in Limpopo shows that the biggest contributors are Community Services and Trade. Although agriculture plays a smaller role in the local economy in terms of production, it still contributes significantly to employment. It can also be observed that the mining sector is highly capital intensive, as its economic contribution does not translate into a comparable share of jobs.

Top Imports Market

44.05%

MALAWI

24.39%

ISRAEL

11.99%

ZIMBABWE

Top Export Market

44.98%

NETHERLANDS

10%

UK

7.74%

CHINA

*Please note that all percentages are subject to change, as the current figures are based on 2024 statistics.

Employment in the LIMPOPO

The total working age population 15–64 yrs:
4 395 689

Employed

Economically Inactive

Unemployed

discouraged

Formal and informal Sector employment

The formal sector is accounting for 27.6% of all employment. 
The informal accounts for 53.7% of all employment.

Spatial Considerations

Rural areas have been more affected than urban areas and urban areas have been more prone to recover jobs than rural Areas.

Employment in LImpopo

%

Male

%

Female

Sources of support amounts the unemployed

%

Old Age

%

War Veterans

%

Disability

%

Grant in Aid

%

Care Dependency

%

Child Support

%

Foster Child

Population Dynamics

Total population 5.8Million

Plus – 322 957

Inequality and human Development

0.60

Gini Coefficient

0.595

Human Index

Education

%

Learner Enrolment

%

NSC Results

Life expectancy in Limpopo

60.5 years

Male

64.8 years

Female

Health

43 Hospitals
22 Health Care Community Centre
471 Clinics

Leading Natural Causes

Diabetes
Heart Disease
HIV/AIDS

Percentage of households that lived in formal, informal and traditional dwellings

%

Formal

%

Informal

%

Traditional

%

Other

Types of Sanitation

Access to sanitation

%

Basic Sanitation

%

Limited Sanitation

%

Unimproved Sanitation

Food Systems/ Environment Determinants



Grains

Grains & Food Crop (72.2%)
Industrial Crops (0.9%),

ï…¹

Fruit & Veg

Fruit & vegetablr
crops (55.7%)



Animal
Production

Livestock (36.1%), Poultry (23%)

Percentage of households experiencing food
adequacy or inadequacy

%

Food Access Severely inadequate

%

Food Access Inadequate

%

Food access adequate

Percentage of households involved in
agricultural activities:

%

Household Consumption of Foods from
Different Food Groups

Consistency of Food Access by Food
Security Status

Food Affordability

Monthly Household Expenditures

Percentage of individuals and households benefiting from social grants

39%

PERSONS

58.2%

HOUSEHOLD

Percentage distribution of sources of household income

49.6%

SALARIES

59%

GRANTS

25.5%

REMITTANCE

16.8%

BUSINESS INCOME

2.2%

PENSIONS

Food Expenditure for Low Income

Pap
Rice
Beans
Potatoes
Fat Oil
Sugar
Milk
Poultry