Presidents Cyril Ramaphosa is on Tuesday expected to officially receive the 2022 Census results in Pretoria from Statistics South Africa.

This includes, among other things, how much the country’s population has grown over the last 12 years, if the Covid-19 pandemic has had any impact on population rates and how the country’s citizens from all sectors of society live, work, what they get up to and whether they received basic services.

The first Census post the Apartheid era was conducted in 1996. The second followed in 2001 with the third one conducted in 2011.

In February 2022, Stats SA embarked on the fourth census with South Africans being given an opportunity to submit their details online with the assistance of field workers.

At the time, Stats SA indicated that it had contracted up to 165 000 staff members including fieldworkers to collect information from more than 17 million households.

Meanwhile, releasing the mid-year population estimates last year, Statistician-General Risenga Maluleke indicated that the South African population for 2022 stood at 60.6 million with births being the main driver of population growth in the country.

He also indicated that population estimates indicated that 16.1 million people reside in Gauteng, 11.5 million in KwaZulu Natal, 7.2 million in the Western Cape and 5.9 million people in Limpopo.

In Mpumalanga 4.7 million people were recorded, in the North West 4.2 million people, in the Free State 2.9 million people and in the Northern Cape, 1.3 million people.

Deputy Minister in the Presidency Thembi Siweya chats to a Gauteng residents about taking part in the 2022 Census intiative. Picture: GCIS

Reflection on the importance of the Census, political analyst Kim Heller said the release of the Census results would be met with high anticipation.

“The Census will prove to be a crucial socio-economic geographic footprint which will help politicians navigate the pre-electoral terrain and fine tune their election manifestos accordingly. For those in the government, spatial planning and social development, updated and accurate census information provides a crucial tool and guides a framework for implementation,” she said.

And ahead of the national elections next year, Heller highlighted that, “For the IEC, accurate census information provides an invaluable geo-social source of population dynamics; a crucial information ahead of an important election for the country.”

She further added: “One hopes that the methodology of the census and its integrity of data is robust and reliable enough to ensure an accurate reading of population size, changing dynamics and the real life plight and needs of ordinary citizens with respect to issues of housing, employment and food security. If used effectively the census can be used as a map for improved service delivery.”

The Census results ceremony will be held at the Union Buildings.