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Pay disparities persist - Zuma

Cape Town - Census 2011 results show the black majority remains worst affected by poverty, unemployment, and inequality, President Jacob Zuma said on Tuesday.

Zuma accepted the results during an official handover by Statistician General Pali Lehohla in Pretoria.

The census reveals that blacks earn significantly less than their coloured, Indian, and white counterparts.

The average household income in South Africa has more than doubled the past decade.

In 2001, South African households earned on average R48 000, which had increased to R103 204 by October last year.

"Black African-headed households were found to have an average annual income of R60 613 in 2011," the census statistical release revealed.

White households earned on average about six times more than blacks.

"White-headed households had the highest average household income at R365 134 per annum."

The average coloured household made about R112 000 a year, and Indian households just over R250 000.

As expected, households in Gauteng earned more than those in the rest of the country, raking in about R156 243 a year on average, followed by the Western Cape with R143 460.

"Census 2011 found that Limpopo remained the province with the lowest average annual household income at R56 844, followed by the Eastern Cape, where the average was R64 539."

Commenting on the results Zuma said: "These figures tell us at the bottom of the rung is the black majority who continue to be confronted by deep poverty, unemployment, and inequality, despite the progress that we have made since 1994."

Zuma noted that access to basic services such as piped water, electricity and refuse removal had more than doubled since 1994.

"However, much remains to be done to further improve the livelihoods of our people, especially in terms of [the] significant disparities that still exist between the rich and poor," he said.

Zuma said the National Development Plan, the blueprint for development in the country, would help the government achieve better outcomes.

"Government departments must now use this information wisely in planning for the extension of services mentioned in the National Development Plan," Zuma said.
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