Why South Africa’s 33.7% unemployment rate does not tell the whole story
South Africa’s official unemployment rate rose to 33.7% in the third quarter of 2026, but the figure excludes discouraged work-seekers and others outside the labour force. Broader measures put labour underutilisation at as high as 46.3%.
Gamagara, a Northern Cape municipality, leads South Africa in average taxable income per taxpayer, according to a playcasino.com analysis of 2024 tax statistics. Kathu, within Gamagara, is home to Anglo American Kumba's Sishen mine, one of the world's largest open-pit mines. The municipality's residents earned an average of R508,901 in taxable income, topping Johannesburg's R480,318 and Stellenbosch's R451,052.
The national average was R351,128. The analysis examined over 150 municipalities with at least 5,000 assessed taxpayers, excluding those earning below the income tax threshold. Tshwane, Johannesburg, and Cape Town trailed at R412,120, R480,318, and R370,992 respectively. Gauteng was the only province above the national average, while the Eastern Cape had the lowest at R292,061. Mining towns like Kathu, Ba-Phalaborwa, Thabazimbi, and Emalahleni also featured in the top ranks.
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