OUR IMPACT ON THE
WESTERN CAPE

Situated on the southern tip of Africa, the Western Cape has the lowest proportion in poverty. With 32% of the population living in poverty, unemployment is a critical issue in the Western Cape – as it is nationally.

The provincial unemployment rate of 17.6% compares favourably with the national average of 26.5%.
This is reflected in the province’s 40.1% intensity of poverty. Despite the relative affluence of the province, there remains a formidable nutritional developmental challenge in the province. It is for this reason that the nutritional drivers and determinants of the Western Cape have been developed. This has been reflected in the data below.

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

  • Private Sector 64% 64%
  • General Government Services 11% 11%
  • Agriculture Forestry and Fishing 4% 4%
  • Manufacturing 15% 15%
  • Construction 4% 4%
  • Other 2% 2%

Top Imports Market

1.7%

CHINA

40%

NIGERIA

35.5%

SAUDI ARABIA

Top Export Market

9.9%

NAMIBIA

3%

UK

0.6%

USA

Employment in the WESTERN Cape

The estimated total of the working age population:
4 700 000

Employed

Economically Inactive

Unemployed

Employed

Economically Inactive

Unemployed

Formal and informal Sector employment

The formal sector is accounting for 82.2% of all employment.
 The informal sector accounts for 17.8% of all employment.

Youth labour market trends

Of the 2.2 million people in the Western cape between 15-34 years.  947 000 were employed , 405 000 were unemployed, 104 000 were non searching employment. 54.7% of the unemployed youth only have primary or some secondary education and do not possess sufficient skills and previous work experience demanded by employers in the labour market.

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 THE WESTERN CAPE

%

Employed individuals have grade 12 or tertiary education

%

Female

%

Male

Sources of support amounts the unemployed

%

Persons in the household

%

Persons not in the household

%

Charity, church, welfare, etc.

%

Unemployment Insurance (UIF)

%

Savings or money previously earned

%

Child support or foster care grant

%

Old age or disability

%

Other welfare benefits

%

Bursary, student loan

Population Dynamics

Total population 7.1Million

Plus – 468 568 net migrations

%

15 years and younger

%

65 years and older

Inequality and human Development

0.618

Gini Coefficient

0.733

Human Index

Education

%

Learner Enrolment

%

Retention

%

NSC Results

Life expectancy in The Western Cape

65 years

Male

71 years

Female

Health

428 public primary
care facilities

Leading Natural Causes

Diabetes, Heart Disease,
HIV/AIDS

Housing and municipal Services in the western cape

Housing Demand  550 809

79% ARE DWELLINGS

Types of Sanitation

Access to sanitation

%

Basic Sanitation

%

Limited Sanitation

%

Unimproved Sanitation

Source of drinking water

99% of households have access to piped water as their main source of water 
99,9% improved sources of water by local municipality 

Food Systems/ Environment Determinants



Grains

Wheat (75%)
Maize (13%)
Barley (11%)

ï…¹

Fruit & Veg

apples, pears, and peaches (39.8%), wine (28.2%), table grapes (11.7%), potatoes and onions (8.7%), citrus (5.8%), and other vegetables (5.8%).



AnimalProduction

25% of the country’s milk production, poultry (51%), cattle (29%), sheep (12%), ostrich (6%).

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

The product properties are; safety, quality, appeal, and convenience

Level of income by household type

Food as Proportion of total household expenditure

Lived Poverty Index and
Household Income

Top 5 food expenditure items

Dietary diversity indicator:

Income Levels and Food Insecurity

Frequency of Access to Basic Necessities