Compiled by
Directorate of Strategic Information
August 2003
A Population Profile of the City of Cape Town - Compiled by Strategic Information, CCT, from Statistics SA Census data
0
CONTENTS
GLOSSARY
2
LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES
3-4
TECHNICAL NOTES
4
INTRODUCTION
5
DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS
Population Size
2001 Census vs. Projected Population size
Population Distribution by population group
Sex Distribution
Age Distribution
Population Pyramid
Index of Aging
Incidence of Disability
Religious Affiliation
Home Language
Citizenship/Country of Birth
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
EDUCATIONAL LEVELS
18
Educational Levels of Adults (Aged 20 +)
19
% Adults with Less than Matric by population group and Gender 20
% Adults with Less than Matric: 1996 vs.2001
21
% Adults with Post-matric qualification: 1996 vs. 2001
22
EMPLOYMENT PATTERNS
Employment by Economic Sector
Employment by Occupational Sector
% Elementary Occupations by population group and Gender
% Elementary Occupations: 1996 vs. 2001
23
24
25
26
27
EMPLOYMENT PATTERNS (cont.)
% Managerial/Professional/Technical Occupations by
population group and Gender
% Managerial/Professional/Technical 1996 vs.2001
Unemployment Rate
Unemployment by population group and Gender
Unemployment Rate: 1996 vs. 2001
28
29
30
31
32
HOUSING AND HOUSEHOLD PATTERNS
Housing Type
% Informal Dwelling 1996 vs. 2001
Household Size
33
34
35
36
ACCESS TO BASIC SERVICES
Access to Water
% access to Piped Water: 1996 vs. 2001
Sanitation
% Flush or Chemical Toilets: 1996 vs. 2001
Energy/Fuel used for Lighting and Cooking
% access to Electricity for Lighting: 1996 vs. 2001
Refuse Removal
% Refuse Removal by Local Authority: 1996 vs. 2001
Access to Telephone
% access to Telephone by population group
Access to Household Goods
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
TRANSPORT
Mode of Transport to School and Work
% Using Public Transport to School and Work
49
50
51
REFERENCES
52
GLOSSARY
Definitions used by Statistics SA (2003:vii)):
Disability
A physical or mental handicap which has lasted for 6 months or more, or is expected to last at least 6 months, which prevents the person from carrying
out daily activities independently or from participating fully in educational, economic or social activities.
Economically Active person
A person aged 15 years or more who is either employed or unemployed but who is looking for work. In other words someone who is working or who
wants to work and is seeking work is defined as economically active.
Household
A household is a group of persons who live together, and provide themselves jointly with food and/or other essential for living, or a single person who
lives alone.
Population Group
Statistics SA continues to classify people by population grouip in order to monitor progress in moving away from the apartheid-based discrimination of
the past. However membership of a population group is now based on self-perception and self-classification, not on a legal definition. Five options
were provided on the questionnaire, Black African, Coloured, Indians or Asian, White and Other. Responses in the categor “other” were very few and
were therefore imputed to one of the other categories.
Unemployed Person
An unemployed person is defined as an economically active person who
-did not work during the seven days prior to census night
-wanted to work and was available to start work within a week of census night, and
- had taken active steps to look for work or to start some form of self-employment in the four weeks prior to census night.
Unemployment Rate
The number of unemployed persons as a percentage of the economically active.
List of Tables and Figures
Table 1: Comparison of 1996 and 2001 Census Figures
Table 2: Comparison of 2001 Census Figure and 2001 Projection
7
8
Figure 1:
Figure 2:
Figure 3:
Figure 4:
Figure 5:
Figure 6:
Figure 7:
Figure 8:
Figure 9:
Figure 10:
Figure 11:
Figure 12:
Figure 13:
Figure 14:
Figure 15:
Figure 16:
Figure 17:
Figure 18:
Figure 19:
Figure 20:
Figure 21:
Figure 22:
Figure 23:
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
19
20
21
22
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
34
Distribution of population by population group
Sex distribution of population
Age Distribution of population
Population Pyramid
Index of aging
Incidence of disability by type of disability
Religious affiliation
Home language of population
Citizenship Status and Country of Birth of population
Highest Educational Level of Adults (aged 20+)
% of adults with highest qualification less than matric by population group and gender
% adults with highest qualification less than matric - 1996 vs 2001 census by population group
% of adults with Post Matric by population group
Distribution of workers by economic sector
Distribution of workforce by occupational sector
% elementary occupations by population group and gender
% elementary occupations – 1996 vs 2001 census by population group
% managerial/professional/technical by population group and gender
% managerial/professional/technical – 1996 vs 2001 census by population group
Distribution of employment/unemployment of the economically active population
Unemployment rate by population group and gender
Unemployment rate by population group:1996 vs. 2001
Distribution of households by dwelling type
List of Tables and Figures (continued)
Figure 24:
Figure 25:
Figure 26:
Figure 27:
Figure 28:
Figure 29:
Figure 30:
Figure 31:
Distribution of informal dwellings by population group 1996 vs. 2001
Distribution of household size
Distribution of households by type of access to water
% households with access to piped water in dwelling or on-site – 1996 vs. 2001 census
Distribution of households by type of sanitation
% households with flush or chemical toilets - 1996 vs 2001 Census by population group
Energy/Fuel used by households for lighting
Energy/Fuel used by households for cooking
35
36
38
39
40
41
42
42
Figure 32:
Figure 33:
% households with access to electricity for lighting - 1996 vs 2001 Census by population group
Distribution of households by type of refuse disposal
43
44
Figure 34:
Figure 35:
% households with refuse removal by local authority - 1996 vs 2001 Census by population group
Distribution of households by access to telephone
45
46
Figure 36:
Figure 37:
% households with access to telephone in dwelling by population group
% households having access to refrigerator, radio, television and computer by population group
47
48
Figure 38:
Mode of Transport to School and Work
50
Figure 39:
% using public transport to school and work
51
TECHNICAL NOTES :

All percentages are shown to one decimal place in the graphs and tables, but are reported as whole
numbers in the text, for ease of reading.

Totals in some figures vary between 99 and 101 due to rounding off

The ‘unspecified’ category was excluded in the calculation of indicators.
INTRODUCTION

This report describes the main demographic and socio-economic characteristics of the
people living in the City of Cape Town metropolitan area.

The 2001 Census data, which was released by Statistics South Africa (Statistics SA) in
July 2003, is used as the key data source. The census data is the outcome of the national
census conducted in October 2001 as well as a post-enumeration survey conducted in
November 2001 to estimate the number of persons who were missed in the census. The
census undercount was found to have been 17%. Statistics SA adjusted the enumerated
census data to compensate for the undercount.

The census information is also presented by gender and population group (Black
African, Coloured, Indian and White) in order to measure inequalities between social
groups. The population categories and terms used follow those used by Statistics SA.
A Population Profile of the City of Cape Town - Compiled by Strategic Information, CCT, from Statistics SA Census data
5
DEMOGRAPHIC
CHARACTERISTICS











Population size
2001 Census vs Projected population size
Population distribution by population group
Sex Distribution
Age distribution
Population pyramid
Index of aging
Incidence of Disability
Religious Affiliation
Language
Citizenship/Country of Birth
Population Size
The 2001 Census recorded the size of the metropolitan population at
2 893 251 people living in 759 765 households. This compares to the 1996 figure of
2 563 095 implying a growth rate of 2,6% per annum between 1996 and 2001.
Table 1: Comparison of 1996 and 2001 Census Figures
No. of People
1996 CENSUS
2001 CENSUS
Average growth
2563095
2893251
2,6% per annum
According to the Statistics Council Census sub-committee, preliminary independent
demographic analyses of the census results suggest that the final census figures
probably reflect:
•an underestimate of children under the age of five
•an overestimate of children aged between 10 and 19
•an underestimate of men relative to women
•an underestimate of the white population
(Statistics SA, 2003)
A Population Profile of the City of Cape Town - Compiled by Strategic Information, CCT, from Statistics SA Census data
7
2001 Census Vs Projected Population Size

The population that had been projected for the Cape Metropolitan Area for 2001
was 3 154 238 (Dorrington, 1999) . The actual census figure is therefore 9.02%
lower than the projected population.

The difference in figures could be due to:
- the census figure being too low, i.e.undercounting the actual population,
and/or
- the projection being too high i.e. assumptions about population growth and/or
migration rates used in the projection are higher than the actual rates

Further analysis is needed to reconcile the actual census figure with the projected
figure.
Table 2: Comparison of 2001 Census Figure and 2001 projection
No. of People
2001 CENSUS
(Statistics SA, 2003)
2001 PROJECTION
(Dorrington, 1999)
2 893 251
3 154 238
A Population Profile of the City of Cape Town - Compiled by Strategic Information, CCT, from Statistics SA Census data
8
Distribution by Population Group
Indian
1.4%
White
18.8%

Just under half (48%) of the
population indicated their population
group as coloured. The next largest
grouping was African/black (32%).
A further 19% indicated their
population group as white and 1% as
Indian.
Coloured
48.1%
Black African
31.7%
Figure 1: Distribution of population by population group
A Population Profile of the City of Cape Town - Compiled by Strategic Information, CCT, from Statistics SA Census data
9
Sex Distribution
Figure 2 :Sex distribution of population
60
50
40
% 30
20
10
0
% of population

Male
Female
48.0
52.0
The 2001 Census showed a higher percentage of females (52%)
relative to males (48%).
A Population Profile of the City of Cape Town - Compiled by Strategic Information, CCT, from Statistics SA Census data
10
Age Distribution
Figure 3: Age distribution of population
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
% of population

0-14
15-34
35-54
55-64
65 +
26.6
38.3
24.4
5.6
4.9
The age distribution reflects a young population with 27% of people aged 14 years
or younger. 65% of the population was younger than 35.
A Population Profile of the City of Cape Town - Compiled by Strategic Information, CCT, from Statistics SA Census data
11
Population Pyramid
Age-sex Distribution Of Population
Figure 4:
Age – Sex
Distribution
of Population

The population pyramid reflects the characteristics of a developing population with
the distribution skewed towards the younger age groups.
A Population Profile of the City of Cape Town - Compiled by Strategic Information, CCT, from Statistics SA Census data
12
Index Of Aging
Figure 5 : Index of aging
73
80
70
60
50
40
30
19
14
20
18
6
10
0
Total

Black African
Coloured
Asian
White
The index of ageing expresses the relationship of the young to the old in a given population. The index
shows that overall for every 100 people aged 14 and below there are 19 people aged 65+. Among the white
population for every 100 young (0-14) people there are 73 aged (65+) people. For Black Africans there are
only 18 aged people for every 100 young people.The white population is therefore an aging population
resembling that of developed regions while the other groups are younger, reflective of developing regions.
A Population Profile of the City of Cape Town - Compiled by Strategic Information, CCT, from Statistics SA Census data
13
Incidence Of Disability
Figure 6: Incidence of disability by type of disability
1.2
1
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0
% Disabled

Visual
Disability
Hearing
Disability
Physical
Disability
Mental
Disability
Multiple
Disabilities
Emotional
Speech
Impairment
0.7
0.5
1.1
0.5
0.4
0.5
0.1
Approximately 1 in 25 people (3.8%) were reported to have a serious disability. The
most common form of disability was physical disability, affecting 1,1% of the total
population.
A Population Profile of the City of Cape Town - Compiled by Strategic Information, CCT, from Statistics SA Census data
14
Religious Affiliation
Figure 7: Religious affiliation
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
% population

Christian
Islam
Judaism
76.6
9.7
0.5
Hinduism No Religion
0.2
10.7
Other/not
stated
2.3
77% of the population indicated a Christian denomination as their religious
affiliation. The next most common religious affiliation was Islam (10%).
A Population Profile of the City of Cape Town - Compiled by Strategic Information, CCT, from Statistics SA Census data
15
Home Language
Figure 8 : Home language of population
Other
2.0%

Afrikaans was the most
common home language
(41% of households)
followed by isiXhosa
(29%) and English (28%)
isiXhosa
28.7%
Afrikaans
41.4%
English
27.9%
A Population Profile of the City of Cape Town - Compiled by Strategic Information, CCT, from Statistics SA Census data
16
Citizenship/Country Of Birth
Figure 9: Citizenship Status and Country of Birth of population
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Citizenship
Country of Birth

South Africa
Europe
Rest of Africa
Other
98.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
97
1.4
1.2
0.4
A very small % of the population of the City of Cape Town were either not born in
South Africa or did not have South African citizenship
A Population Profile of the City of Cape Town - Compiled by Strategic Information, CCT, from Statistics SA Census data
17
EDUCATIONAL
LEVELS
 Educational levels of adults (aged 20+)
 % adults (aged 20+) with less than matric by
population group and gender
 % adults with less than matric: 1996 vs 2001
Educational Levels Of Adults (Aged 20+)
Figure 10: Highest educational level of adults (aged 20+).
No. of Adults aged 20+ = 1834872
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
% of adults aged 20+

Below Matric
Matric
Post-Matric
Qualification
62
25.4
12.6
The highest educational qualification of adults was relatively low. For as much as 62%
of adults (aged 20+), the highest educational level was below matric. Only 13% of
adults (aged 20+) had a postmatric diploma or degree.
A Population Profile of the City of Cape Town - Compiled by Strategic Information, CCT, from Statistics SA Census data
19
% Adults (aged 20+) With Less Than Matric
By Population Group And Gender
Figure 11: % of adults with highest qualification less than matric by population group and gender
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0

Total
Black African
Coloured
Indian
White
MALE
61.7
76.2
72
39.3
21.4
FEMALE
62.2
71.7
74.5
47.2
25.3
A high proportion of Black African and Coloured adults have a highest education level less
than matric. Overall, there is little difference along gender with the percentage adults with
an educational level below matric being the same (62%) for men and women.
A Population Profile of the City of Cape Town - Compiled by Strategic Information, CCT, from Statistics SA Census data
20
% Adults (aged 20+) With Less Than Matric
1996 Vs 2001 Census
Figure 12: % adults with highest qualification less than matric - 1996 vs 2001 census by population group
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0

Total
Black African
Coloured
Indian
White
1996 Census
67.1
82.2
79.8
53.1
28.7
2001 Census
62
73.9
73.2
43.4
23.5
The % adults (aged 20+) with a highest educational qualification less than matric dropped
from 67% in 1996 to 62% in 2001. The trends suggest rising education levels throughout
the population of the City of Cape Town.
A Population Profile of the City of Cape Town - Compiled by Strategic Information, CCT, from Statistics SA Census data
21
% Adults (aged 20+) With Post Matric
1996 Vs 2001 Census
Figure 13: % adults with Post Matric by population group
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0

Total
Black African
Coloured
Indian
White
1996 Census
11.4
3.6
5.4
17
30
2001 Census
12.6
5.9
5.6
22.3
35.5
There was a slight increase in the % of adults (20+) with a postmatric qualification, from
11% (1996 Census) to 13% (2001 Census).
A Population Profile of the City of Cape Town - Compiled by Strategic Information, CCT, from Statistics SA Census data
22
EMPLOYMENT
PATTERNS
 Unemployment rate
 Unemployment by population group and gender
 Employment by economic sector
 Employment by occupational sector
 % elementary occupations by population group and gender
 % managerial, professional and technical by population
group and gender
 % elementary occupations: 1996 vs 2001
 % managerial, professional and technical: 1996 vs 2001
Employment By Economic Sector
No. of Workers =
843 304 *



The census recorded 939 444 workers in
the municipal area, employed in a wide
range of economic sectors.
Key sectors of employment are
community, social and personal services
(21%), wholesale and retail trade (20%)
and manufacturing (19%).
The financial and business services sector
(15%), construction (8%) and private
households (7%) are also significant
sectors of employment
Transport/
Communication
6%
Construction
8.1%
Financial and
Business
15.1%
Private
Households
7.0%
Other
3.6%
Trade
20.2%
Manufacturing
18.5%
Community
Social and
Personal
21.6%
Figure 14: Distribution of workers by economic sector
* excluding those who did not indicate their sector of employment
A Population Profile of the City of Cape Town - Compiled by Strategic Information, CCT, from Statistics SA Census data
24
Employment By Occupational Sector
No. of Workers = 872 418 *


Strong service sector reflected in high
proportion (27%) employed in sales,
service and clerical posts.
A relatively high % of the workforce
(22%) is in elementary (relatively
unskilled) occupations.
Elementary
21.7%
Managerial
7.5%
Professional
& Technical
21.4%
Semi-skilled
operators and
assemblers
8.6%
Skilled blue
collarCraft/trade
workers
13.6%
Sales,
service &
clerical
27.3%
Figure 15: Distribution of workforce by occupational sector
* Excludes occupation unspecified.
A Population Profile of the City of Cape Town - Compiled by Strategic Information, CCT, from Statistics SA Census data
25
% Elementary Occupations
Figure 16: % elementary occupations by population group and gender
60
50
40
30
20
10
0

Total
Black African
Coloured
Indian
White
MALE
18.6
33.5
19.6
6.5
3
FEMALE
25.4
55.8
24.5
6.5
2.4
There are significant differences by population group and gender in the distribution of
occupational status. As much as 56% of Black African females are employed in elementary
occupations compared to 3% of White males.
A Population Profile of the City of Cape Town - Compiled by Strategic Information, CCT, from Statistics SA Census data
26
% Elementary Occupations
1996 Vs 2001 Census
Figure 17: % elementary occupations – 1996 vs 2001 census by population group
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0

Total
Black African
Coloured
Indian
White
1996 Census
23.1
48
24.6
8.1
2.5
2001 Census
21.7
42.9
21.9
6.5
2.7
Overall the % of the workforce employed in elementary occupations declined slightly from
23% in 1996 to 22% in 2001.
A Population Profile of the City of Cape Town - Compiled by Strategic Information, CCT, from Statistics SA Census data
27
% Managerial/professional/technical
Figure 18: % managerial/professional/technical by population group and gender
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0

Total
Black African
Coloured
Indian
White
MALE
28.8
9.8
19.8
51.8
62.3
FEMALE
28.9
13.9
22.3
45.4
53.2
62% of White males are employed in managerial, professional or technical positions,
compared to 10% of Black African males.
A Population Profile of the City of Cape Town - Compiled by Strategic Information, CCT, from Statistics SA Census data
28
% Managerial/ Professional/ Technical
1996 Vs 2001 Census
Figure 19: % managerial/professional/technical – 1996 vs 2001 census by population group
60
50
40
30
20
10
0

Total
Black African
Coloured
Indian
White
1996 Census
28.7
10.6
19.7
45.5
57.1
2001 Census
28.9
11.5
21
49.3
58.1
There was no significant increase in the number of the workers employed in managerial,
professional and technical posts, as a % of the total workforce.
A Population Profile of the City of Cape Town - Compiled by Strategic Information, CCT, from Statistics SA Census data
29
Unemployment Rate

In terms of the expanded definition of
unemployment, 29% of the metropolitan
population was unemployed at the time of
the census.

This is higher than the 23% unemployment
rate measured by the Labour Force Survey
(LSF) which is the official source of labour
market statistics.

The higher rate reflected in the Census is
probably due to those who are employed in
the informal sector being more likely to
classify themselves as unemployed during
census enumeration whereas the labour
force survey questionnaire includes more
prompts to identify such workers. (Statistics
SA, 2003)
No. of Economically Active = 1326221
Unemployed
29%
Employed
71%
Figure 20: Distribution of employment/unemployment
of the economically active population
A Population Profile of the City of Cape Town - Compiled by Strategic Information, CCT, from Statistics SA Census data
30
Unemployment By Population Group
And Gender
Figure 21: Unemployment rate by population group and gender
60
50
40
30
20
10
0

Total
Black African
Coloured
Indian
White
MALE
27.2
44.2
24.6
11
5.2
FEMALE
31.4
55.8
24.4
13.5
4.1
Overall, the unemployment rate, as reflected in the Census, was higher for females (31%) than for
males (27%). However, the difference in unemployment rates for male and female was mainly
evident among Black Africans. Among whites, the unemployment rate was slightly higher for
males (5%) than for females (4%).
A Population Profile of the City of Cape Town - Compiled by Strategic Information, CCT, from Statistics SA Census data
31
Unemployment By Population Group
1996 Vs 2001 Census
Figure 22: Unemployment rate by population group:1996 vs. 2001
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0

Total
Black African
Coloured
Indian
White
1996 Census
19.5
37.7
17.6
10.6
4.1
2001 Census
29.2
49.8
24.5
12
4.7
The unemployment rate as measured in the census increased significantly from
1996 (20%) to 2001 (29%). For Black Africans half of the economically active
population were classified as unemployed.
A Population Profile of the City of Cape Town - Compiled by Strategic Information, CCT, from Statistics SA Census data
32
HOUSING AND
HOUSEHOLD
PATTERNS
 Housing Type
 % Informal Dwellings: 1996 vs 2001
 Household Size
Housing Type
Figure 23: Distribution of households by dwelling type

Shack in
informal
settlement
14.5%
The majority of households (59%)
lived in freestanding houses on
separate stands
Other
2.2%
Backyard Shack
4.3%

A further 17% lived in flats or
townhouses.
Flat
9.9%

19% of households lived in informal
housing - backyard shacks or shacks in
informal settlements.
House on
separate stand
58.7%
Tow n/cluster
housing
7.0%
Room/Flat on
shared
property/backya
rd
3.3%
A Population Profile of the City of Cape Town - Compiled by Strategic Information, CCT, from Statistics SA Census data
34
% Informal Dwellings
1996 Vs 2001 Census
Figure 24: Distribution of informal dwellings by population group 1996 vs. 2001
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0

Total
Black African
Coloured
Indian
White
1996 Census
19.9
66
5.9
1.1
0.1
2001 Census
18.8
51.6
5.6
1
0.5
Although the % of Black African households living in informal dwellings declined
from 66% in the 1996 census to 52% in the 2001 census, the % of households living in
informal dwellings for the city as a whole dropped by only 1%.
A Population Profile of the City of Cape Town - Compiled by Strategic Information, CCT, from Statistics SA Census data
35
Household Size
Figure 25: Distribution of household size
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
% households
1
2
3 to 4
5 to 6
7 to 8
9+
16
20.2
35.1
19.5
6.2
3
Household Size

Most households are relatively small with 71% of households consisting of 4
people or fewer.
A Population Profile of the City of Cape Town - Compiled by Strategic Information, CCT, from Statistics SA Census data
36
Access To Basic
Services

Access to water

% households with piped water in dwelling or on-site: 1996 vs 2001

Sanitation

% households with flush or chemical toilet: 1996 vs 2001

Energy/Fuel used for lighting and cooking

% households using electricity for lighting : 1996 vs 2001

Refuse removal

% households with refuse removal by local authority: 1996 vs 2001

Access to telephone

% households with access to telephone by population group

Access to Household Goods (radio, television, computer, refrigerator)
Access To Water
Figure 26: Distribution of households by type of access to water



69% of households indicated
that they had piped water in
their dwellings.
A further 15% had piped
water on site.
14% of households indicated
that they made use of
communal taps.
Other
1.2%
Communal
Tap
14.3%
Piped Water
on Site
15.1%
Piped Water
in Dwelling
69.4%
A Population Profile of the City of Cape Town - Compiled by Strategic Information, CCT, from Statistics SA Census data
38
% Households With Access To Piped Water
1996 Vs 2001 Census
Figure 27: % households with access to piped water in dwelling or on-site – 1996 vs 2001 census by population group
100
80
60
40
20
0

Total
Black African
Coloured
Indian
White
1996 Census
89.6
65.4
97.4
99.6
99.6
2001 Census
84.4
61.7
93.9
95.3
96.7
Overall, the % of households that had access to piped water either in their dwelling
or on site decreased from 90% recorded in the 1996 census to 84% recorded in the
2001 census.
A Population Profile of the City of Cape Town - Compiled by Strategic Information, CCT, from Statistics SA Census data
39
Sanitation
Figure 28: Distribution of households by type of sanitation


Most households (87%) have
a flush or chemical toilet.
Bucket
Latrine
4.5%
None
7.3%
Pit Latrine
0.9%
5% make use of pit or bucket
latrines.
Flush/
chemical
Toilet
87.3%
A Population Profile of the City of Cape Town - Compiled by Strategic Information, CCT, from Statistics SA Census data
40
% Households With Flush Or Chemical Toilets
1996 Vs 2001 Census
Figure 29: % households with flush or chemical toilets - 1996 vs 2001 Census by population group
100
80
60
40
20
0

Total
Black African
Coloured
Indian
White
1996 Census
89.4
66.4
95.9
99.3
99.9
2001 Census
87.4
67.1
95.6
98.3
99
The % of households having either a flush or chemical toilet declined from 89%
recorded in the 1996 census to 87% recorded in the 2001 census.
A Population Profile of the City of Cape Town - Compiled by Strategic Information, CCT, from Statistics SA Census data
41
Source of Energy/Fuel For Lighting And Cooking
Figure 30: Energy/Fuel used by households for lighting
Figure 31: Energy/Fuel used by households for cooking
Other
0%
Candles
2%
Other
1%
Paraffin
9%
Paraffin
16%
Gas
2%
Electricity
89%

Electricity
81%
Electricity is the main source of energy for lighting and cooking for more than 80% of
households. Paraffin is the next most widely used fuel source for lighting and cooking.
A Population Profile of the City of Cape Town - Compiled by Strategic Information, CCT, from Statistics SA Census data
42
% Households With Electricity
1996 Vs 2001 Census
Figure 32: % households with access to electricity for lighting - 1996 vs 2001 Census by population group
100
80
60
40
20
0

Total
Black African
Coloured
Indian
White
1996 Census
86.9
57.3
95.9
99.4
99.9
2001 Census
88.8
68.6
97.2
99.2
99.6
The % of households using electricity for lighting increased from 87% (1996 census) to
89% (2001 census). For Black African households, the % using electricity for lighting
increased from 57% to 69%.
A Population Profile of the City of Cape Town - Compiled by Strategic Information, CCT, from Statistics SA Census data
43
Refuse Removal
Figure 33: Distribution of households by type of refuse disposal
100
80
60
40
20
0
% households

Removed by
local authority
Communal
refuse dump
Own refuse
dump
No rubbish
disposal
95.5
1.3
1.9
1.4
More than 95% of households had their refuse removed by the local authority.
A Population Profile of the City of Cape Town - Compiled by Strategic Information, CCT, from Statistics SA Census data
44
% Households With Refuse Removal By Local Authority
1996 Vs 2001 Census
Figure 34: % households with refuse removal by local authority - 1996 vs 2001 Census by population group
100
80
60
40
20
0

Total
Black African
Coloured
Indian
White
1996 Census
92.8
78.5
97
99.3
99.2
2001 Census
95.5
89.5
97.9
99.3
98.9
The % of households having their refuse removed by the local authority increased
from 93% (1996 census) to 96% (2001 census). The % of Black African households
having their refuse removed by the local authority increased from 79% to 90%.
A Population Profile of the City of Cape Town - Compiled by Strategic Information, CCT, from Statistics SA Census data
45
Access To Telephone
Figure 35: Distribution of households by access to telephone
No access
2%




The majority of households (55%) had
a telephone in the dwelling or a
telephone in dwelling and a cell-phone.
A further 13% had a cellphone only.
30% had access to a public or
neighbour’s telephone nearby.
For 2% of households access to a
telephone was difficult or non-existent.
Acess to
telephone
nearby
30%
Households
with telephone
55%
Cell-phone
only
13%
A Population Profile of the City of Cape Town - Compiled by Strategic Information, CCT, from Statistics SA Census data
46
% Households With Access To Telephone
Figure 36: % households with access to telephone in dwelling by population group
100
80
60
40
20
0
% households

Total
Black African
Coloured
Indian
White
55.6
20.3
61.9
83.9
87
More than 83% of White and Indian households had a telephone in dwelling or a
telephone in dwelling and a cell-phone.
A Population Profile of the City of Cape Town - Compiled by Strategic Information, CCT, from Statistics SA Census data
47
Access To Household Goods
Figure 37: % households having access to refrigerator, radio, television and computer by population group
100
90
80
% households
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0

Refrigerator
Radio
Television
Computer
Total
76.4
80.7
77
21.3
Black African
41.8
65.4
49.5
2.8
Coloured
88.5
82.4
86.5
14.9
Indian/Asian
96.7
91.9
92.8
44.1
White
98.5
95.9
94.6
52.2
The 2001 census recorded that fewer than half of Black African households owned a
refrigerator, television or computer. Of all households, 21% owned a computer, including
only 3% of Black African households.
A Population Profile of the City of Cape Town - Compiled by Strategic Information, CCT, from Statistics SA Census data
48
TRANSPORT

Mode of Transport to
School and Work

% using public transport
to school and work
Mode Of Transport
Figure 38: Mode of Transport to School and Work
Total No. of Commuters = 1643515
Train
12%
Other
1%
Bus
7%

About one third of those who travel to
school or work indicated that they do
so by foot

A further one-third travelled to school
or work by car, either as driver or as
passenger.

30% made use of the various forms of
public transport (taxi, bus, train)
Foot
33%
Minibus/taxi
11%
Bicycle
1%
Car as
passenger
15%
Motorcycle
1%
Car as driver
19%
A Population Profile of the City of Cape Town - Compiled by Strategic Information, CCT, from Statistics SA Census data
50
% Using Public Transport to School or Work
Figure 39: % Using Public Transport to school or work
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
% of Commuters

Total
Black African
Coloured
Indian
White
30.3
42.4
33.8
16.6
6.9
Overall, 30% of those who travelled to school and work did so using public transport.
This varied from 42% among black Africans to 7% among whites.
A Population Profile of the City of Cape Town - Compiled by Strategic Information, CCT, from Statistics SA Census data
51
REFERENCES
 Statistics SA, 2003, Census 2001: Census in Brief,
 Dorrington, R, 1991. Projection of the Population of
the Cape Metropolitan Area, 1996-2031
A Population Profile of the City of Cape Town - Compiled by Strategic Information, CCT, from Statistics SA Census data
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