National Treasury, in partnership with the Human Sciences Research Council and the University of the Free State, has launched the Spacial Economic Activity Data dashboard, giving a detailed analysis of various economic data points across municipalities in South Africa.

One of the key metrics covered in the data is median income across the country, revealing which municipalities deliver the highest incomes.

According to Spatial Economic Activity Data, the Joe Morolong Municipality in the Northern Cape has the highest median income in the country, coming out at R34,599.

The Ntabankulu Municipality in the Eastern Cape has the second-highest median income at R32,704, followed by Thulamla in Limpopo (R30,583)

Despite being seen as the economic powerhouses of the country, Gauteng and the Western Cape feature no municipalities in the top 10 highest average median income:

Municipality	Median Income (2021)
Joe Morolong, Northern Cape	R34 599
Ntabankulu, Eastern Cape	R32 704
Thulamela, Limpopo	R30 583
Thembisile, Mpumalanga	R30 137
Nyadeni, KwaZulu-Natal	R30 801
Gamagara, Northern Cape	R27 929
Lepele-Nkumpi, Limpopo	R27 552
Mbizana, Eastern Cape	R26 781
Ulundi, KwaZulu-Natal	R25 819
Intsika Yethu, Eastern Cape	R25 578
Major Metros	–
City of Tshwane	R13 208
City of Johannesburg	R11 761
Nelson Mandela Bay	R10 270
City of Cape Town	R8 290
City of eThekwini	R7 513

Joe Morolong Municipality

What’s notable with Joe Moroleng Municipality having the highest median income in the country is that it feel incongruent with other data points from the region.

For instance, the municipality has high levels of unemployment – above the national average – and the vast majority of the population doesn’t have a matric certificate.

As Stats SA 2016 community survey showed that the official unemployment rate in the municipality was 39%.

However, according to Spatial Economic Activity Data, the area has also seen a major boom in the total number of jobs up until 2021.

The municipality’s indexed total jobs – showing the relative performance of each region adjusted for its size in the starting year – surpassed the national average in 2021.

The Joe Morolong municipality (in yellow) indexed total jobs reached 108.84, slightly above the national average (in green) of 107.26.

Mining is the predominant economic activity, with the mining of metal ores accounting for 75.84% of total jobs.

The area is rich in manganese ore, which is in high demand globally as it is essential for electric car batteries and other manufactured products.

Mining is then followed by accommodation and food services (9.29%) and public administration and defence (4.03%) as the main economic activities:

In addition, whereas retail is the main source of work for youth across all of South Africa, mining is the main source of job opportunities for youth.

Life in the municipality

Despite having the highest median income in the country, only half of those who start primary school make it to high school, according to the School Dropout: Context Counts 2022 report.

In addition, only 15% of all residents finish grade 12, compared to the national school completion rate of 38%.

Moreover, like the rest of the country, the dropout rate worsens after Grade 10, with learners who leave school after Grade 10 also repeating grades.

Many of those who complete their education move to the cities, with only a handful of people who have finished formal schooling remaining in the area.

“This means there are not enough role models who can show young people the value of working towards a good education,” the report said.

Even for menial work, mines favour people with matric certificates. Families who cannot access the mines or migrant work thus mostly rely on government grants and raise livestock.

The report noted that the mining boom in the area attracted several criminal elements, with mine employees able to afford rent in larger settlements and commute to work.

The influx of new money had led to a rise in shebeens and taverns, which are hotspots for crime, drugs and sex work during weekends.

Although 84% of respondents had access to electricity, 81% of households still made use of pit latrines.

72% lived in formal brick houses, 9% lived in a formal dwelling in a backyard/someone else’s house, and 6% lived in shacks.

However, people in the area have said that the area has improved.

“Things are better here these days. The majority of young people are employed in the mines.
It’s not like in the past when I started working here. It was tough! I think 90% of people were unemployed,” Principal Biyela from the local Kgoro Intermediate School said.

However, Biyela said that locals struggle to find good employment at the mines.

“But most of the people who are holding good jobs there at the mines come from other provinces. The majority of people from this area, yes they are working there, but they are at the bottom, they are at the very, very bottom.”

The principal added that learners fail to pay attention at school as they believe that they will go to the mines even if they do not acquire a matric.

“Learners tell us, ‘You are talking about education, but we can simply go to the mines and work there’ … They have brothers who are in the mines doing menial jobs. They see that as their ambition,” a teacher at Dithaba High, Mr Phiri, said.

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