Residents of Mzansi’s richest province have reported being hungrier, poorer, and worse off than before, according to the latest Quality of Life survey by the Gauteng City-Region Observatory (GCRO).
The GCRO is a research partnership between the Universities of Johannesburg and Witwatersrand and provincial and local governments. Its goal is to understand how Gauteng is changing socially, economically, and environmentally and where improvements are needed.
The latest survey has painted a grim picture: More than half of the participants believe South Africa is a failed state. Participants mentioned that finding jobs has become harder, and although some residents earn more, their salaries haven’t kept pace with rising food costs. Shockingly, a fifth of households reported increased food insecurity that their children had to skip meals during the eight-month survey period. The number of adults who skipped meals because they could not afford food also grew from the last survey conducted in 2021.
The survey showed that Gauteng residents struggle with low trust in public institutions and government and very high levels of income inequality, which appear to have worsened in 2020 – 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Residents also reported being worried about the province’s water situation, with satisfaction with water access dropping from 86% in 2017/18 to 75% in 2023/24.
Crime remains a huge worry, and the report revealed that the nature of crime is expanding. For example, over a quarter of people reported experiencing psychological violence. On a positive note, younger people reported lower levels of physical and sexual abuse compared to older ones.
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi acknowledged the government’s failures, saying that residents would have more income if they had better service delivery. “It is correct; we’ve abandoned what government should do,” he said.
But it isn’t all lost, according to GRCO executive director Rashid Seedat. He says that while poor governance has contributed to Gauteng’s current state, things are improving. “There are signs we could move in the right direction. We’ve reached the bottom of the barrel and hopefully begin climbing out,” he said.
Since 2017/18, the Quality of Life Index has declined, and this trend aligns with global patterns seen in reports like the 2021 World Happiness Report. The report painted a grim picture, showing how COVID-19 deaths, rising economic insecurity, and disruptions to daily life significantly impacted mental and physical health across the globe. Gauteng’s challenges mirror these global trends, with declining well-being and worsening income inequality. Even as Gautengelengers’ faith in institutions and government remains low, there are signs that things are getting better.
