SoNA in numbers | Vuk'uzenzele

State of the Nation Address

146 – the number of countries with which South Africa has diplomatic relations.
365 000 people were employed during 2011 – the country’s best performance since the recession of 2008.
Unemployment came down from 25% to 23,9%.
Update on the Job Fund: over 2 500 applications were received and project allocations of over R1 billion have been committed.
R1,5 billion has been approved so far for 60 companies to promote job creation. This forms part of the R10 million set aside by the Industrial Development Corperation for job creation.
Seven projects with an investment value of R8,4 billion were approved following an announcement of incentives worth R20 billion under Section 12 (i) of the Income Tax Act, designed to support new industrial projects and manufacturing.
R200 billion is allocated to rail projects and the majority of balance to projects in the ports. Some of the projects include:
- the expansion of the Iron Ore Export Channel from 60 million tons a year to 100 million tons a year the improvements to the Durban-Gauteng Rail corridor and the phased development of a new 16-million-tons-a-year manganese export channel through the Port of Ngqura in Nelson Mandela Bay.
R300 million – allocated for preparatory work towards building new universities in Mpumalanga and the Northern Cape.
Eight – the number of African countries South Africa has partnered with in its bid to host the Square Kilometre Array radio telescope.
220 000 – the number of solar water heaters that has been installed nationwide as part of government’s green initiatives. Government’s target is one million solar geysers by 2014/15.
R248 million is to be invested over the next two years to deal with acid mine drainage in the Witwatersrand.
Grade R enrolment doubled from 300 000 in 2003 to 705 000 in 2011.
14 000 learners were placed in workplace learning opportunities over the past year, and over 11 000 artisans have completed their trade tests.
Eight million – the number of learners who attend no-fee schools.
Some R200 million was used to assist 25 000 students to pay off their debts to institutions of higher learning.
2% – the target set for all government departments to employ disabled persons.
5% – the number of serious crimes reported compared to the same period in 2010/11.

General