Statistics SA Report: KwaZulu-Natal is the Poorest Province
- A new Stats SA report shows KwaZulu-Natal remains one of South Africa’s poorest provinces, surpassing Limpopo in recent years
- Despite this, national poverty levels have declined, with extreme poverty falling to 37.9% in 2023
- The government has welcomed the findings and pledged stronger efforts to reduce poverty and expand economic opportunities
Source: Twitter
KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) remains one of the poorest provinces in the country, according to a Statistics South Africa report released on Thursday, 11 December 2025. The report examined poverty trends in South Africa between 2006 and 2023 and revealed that 23.2 million people were living in poverty by 2023. It also found that roughly 10.8 million South Africans remained food-poor, with KwaZulu-Natal recording the highest numbers.
KwaZulu-Natal continues to have the most people living in poverty surpassing the Limpopo Province in 2023. The province accounted for approximately one in every four poor people in the country, highlighting deep-rooted social and economic challenges. Persistent structural unemployment, rural underdevelopment, and historical inequalities remain major drivers of poverty in KZN.
KZN’s poverty levels place it above other provinces such as the Eastern Cape, North West, and Limpopo. Together, these four provinces accounted for nearly 60% of all poor South Africans in 2023. This concentration of poverty reflects long-standing inequalities, limited access to basic services, and uneven economic growth that continues almost three decades into democracy.
Improvement in National Poverty Levels
Despite these concerning provincial figures, the report shows a general decline in national poverty levels. Statistics SA found that the share of South Africans living in extreme poverty,defined as earning below R1 300 per person per month in 2023 prices, fell to 37.9% in 2023.
The Western Cape and Gauteng remain the provinces with the lowest poverty rates, with Gauteng showing a notable improvement since 2015.
Statistician-General Risenga Maluleke spoke about the factors driving the decline in poverty among households that have seen an improvement in income.
“The drivers are not employment alone at household or personal level. People also earn income from grants, remittances, and old-age pensions, and a larger percentage of Africans benefit from these grants compared to white population groups, which helps drive poverty levels down,” he said
Government Responds to the Findings
Source: Getty Images
In response to the report, the South African government welcomed the findings, stating,
The findings mark an important step forward in the country’s ongoing efforts to reduce poverty, improve living conditions, and advance inclusive development.”
Government also committed to working with all sectors of society to speed up poverty reduction and expand access to economic opportunities.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has previously spoken out about high levels of poverty and unemployment. During his maiden address in Parliament after being elected as president of the seventh administration on 18 July 2024, he vowed that the government would work to shield citizens from rising food prices. Ramaphosa also noted the widening gap between the poor and the wealthy, saying companies continue to make large profits while many South Africans struggle to afford basic meals.
2 poverty-related Briefly News articles
In a previous story, Briefly News reported on a video captured of people making a dramatic rush to a SASSA station in the mall, underscoring the poverty levels in the country. The clip Iely shared on social media shows a moment when all doors opened and many people, most of them elderly, sprinted through the corridors, heading straight to the paypoints. The majority of South Africans said the clip highlights the safety risks and the undignified situation that people are forced to access the grant money.
From the more inspirational side of social media, Briefly News reported on a South African woman who shared a motivational video about her journey from extreme poverty to owning a multi-million-rand home in Cape Town.
In a TikTok video, Priscellah Molemele explained that she grew up with very little and uses her past hardships as daily motivation. Molemele, who works in the tourism sector, said her success is the result of hard work and God’s grace.
Source: Briefly News
