President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered the State of the Nation Address (SONA) at the Cape Town City Hall on Thursday.

Below is the SONA in numbers:

Social Assistance

More than 26 million – South Africans who continue to receive social assistance every month provided by the democratic state.

Some 9 million – unemployed people receiving the Special Social Relief of Distress Grant every month.

Unemployment and Job Creation

Two million ­- people who lost their jobs due to COVID-19.

15 to 24 – the ages of millions of young people who were not in employment, education or training, by 8 February 2024.

More than 1.7 million – work and livelihood opportunities created through the Expanded Public Works Programme.

More than 1 million – school assistants placed in 23 000 schools through the Presidential Employment Stimulus.

23 000 – schools where more than one million school assistants have been placed through the Presidential Employment Stimulus.

From 8 million to over 16.7 million – the increase in the number
of South Africans in employment since 1994 until 2024.

Over 4.3 million – young people engaged on SAYouth.mobi, a zero-rated platform for unemployed young people to access opportunities for learning and earning.

1.6 million – young people who have secured opportunities through the SAYouth.mobi, a zero-rated platform for unemployed young people to access opportunities for learning and earning.

Crime and Corruption

More than 200 – accused persons being prosecuted by the National Prosecuting Authority.

R14 billion – value of freezing orders granted to the National Prosecuting Authority’s Asset Forfeiture Unit for state capture-related cases.

Around R8.6 billion – value of corrupt proceeds that have been returned to the State.

R4.8 billion – unpaid taxes collected by the South African Revenue Service.

R64 billion – value of civil litigation instituted by the Special Investigating Unit.

5 000 – extra police officers deployed to Public Order Policing.

Over 285 000 – arrests made by the South African Poli
ce Service since May 2023 through Operation Shanela.

20 000 – police officers recruited over the last two years.

10 000 – police officers to be recruited in the year to come.

Over 100 000 – people stopped by the new Border Management Authority from entering South Africa illegally.

Energy

More than 2 500 – megawatts of solar and wind power connected to the grid.

More than 120 – new private energy projects in development.

More than 14 000 – kilometres of new transmission lines to be built over the coming years to accommodate renewable energy.

Around R170 billion to almost R240 billion – increases in the value of financing pledges for the Just Energy Transition Investment Plan in the past year.

Economy and Investment

More than 60 – ships waiting to berth at the Port of Durban in mid-November 2023.

12 – ships waiting to berth at the Port of Durban at the end of January 2024.

R1.5 trillion – value of new investment commitments raised through five South Africa Investment Conferences.

R500 billion – val
ue of new investment commitments raised through five South Africa Investment Conferences that have already flowed into the economy.

Approximately 39% – black ownership of mining by 2024, compared with 2% in 2004.

Road Infrastructure

Nearly 25 000 – kilometres of roads being managed by the South African National Roads Agency Limited.

More than 1 200 – projects to the value of R120 billion awarded by the South African National Roads Agency Limited in the past five years.

R120 billion – the value of more than 1 200 projects awarded by the South African National Roads Agency Limited in the past five years.

Land

25% – farmland owned by black South Africans through redistribution.

30% – target of farmland to be owned by black South Africans through redistribution by 2030.

Labour

Around 1 000 – black industrialists supported with funding and other forms of support in the last five years.

More than 90 000 – workers employed by black-owned firms which contribute many billions of rands to the South African e
conomy.

About 200 000 – workers who obtained ownership of shares in the companies in which they work.

Over half a million – status of worker ownership in companies in the South African economy.

Over 6 million – workers whose wages were raised by the introduction of the National Minimum Wage.

Matric

82.9% – latest matric pass rate; the highest ever.

Poverty Alleviation

71.1% – South African population living in poverty in 1993.

60.9% – the drop in the poverty rate by 2010.

55.5% – the drop in the poverty rate by 2020.

Health

More than 100 000 ­- South Africans who lost their lives to COVID-19.

54 years – life expectancy in 2003.

65 years – life expectancy in 2023.

95% – persons diagnosed with HIV who know their status.

79% – persons who receive antiretroviral treatment out of the 95% diagnosed with HIV who know their status.

93% – persons virally suppressed out of the 95% diagnosed with HIV who know their status.

Housing, Water and Telecommunications

Nearly nine out of every 10 – households l
iving in a formal dwelling.

Only 6 out of 10 – people who had access to clean drinking water at the end of apartheid.

9 out of 10 – South Africans with access to clean drinking water by 2024.

79% – households with access to the internet in 2022.

Gender-Based Violence and Femicide

Around R21 billion – money dedicated over the medium term to implement the six pillars of the National Strategic Plan on Gender-based Violence and Femicide, including the economic empowerment of women.

Source: South African Government News Agency