ID: POPULATION_DATA_REG

Dimensions

When we engineer the microdata, we calculate the various aggregations, and also provide those aggregations.

1. Mnemonic

• Population POP

2. Province

• Kwazulu-Natal KZN
• Western Cape WC
• Free State FS
• Eastern Cape EC
• Limpopo LM
• Gauteng GP
• Northern Cape NC
• North West NW
• Mpumalanga MP
• South Africa ZA

3. Sex

• Male M
• Female F
• Any A

4. Age

• 0-4 years of age 00
• 5-9 years of age 05
• 10-14 years of age 10
• 15-19 years of age 15
• 20-24 years of age 20
• 25-29 years of age 25
• 30-34 years of age 30
• 35-39 years of age 35
• 40-44 years of age 40
• 45-49 years of age 45
• 50-54 years of age 50
• 55-59 years of age 55
• 60-64 years of age 60
• 65-69 years of age 65
• 70-74 years of age 70
• 75-79 years of age 75
• 80+ years of age 80
• All ages AA

Attributes

• Source Dataset: P0302
• Observation Status (Forecast value F; Normal value A)
• Label
• Unit of Measure (People)
• Frequency (Annual)

See also the population data from SARB.

ID: QLFS

Codera Analytics engineers the aggregate Excel file, loading our structured data into EconData within half an hour of the data being made publicly available by StatsSA. See our blog posts here: https://codera.co.za/?s=qlfs

Overall dataset concepts

The series starts at the beginning of 2008, unless otherwise stated.

Supplier source page

Data Key

The data key contains four dimensions. The order of the data_key is:

LABSTAT.CATEGORY.AREA.SEX

The number of characters in the codes (as outlined below) used in the dimensions are 4, 5, 2 and 1 respectively, with full-stops between the codes in the data key.

When the dimensions are put together, 1143 series are available.

1. LABSTAT

“LABSTAT” stands for labour statistic, but this dimension could be referred to as the “variables”. In most cases the concept is the estimated number of people in South Africa’s population falling into the definition, based on survey weights. Some concepts are percentages (where R for ‘rate’ is used for the third character).

• Population count POPC
• Labour Force (narrow) LFON
• Labour Force (broad) LFOB
• Employed EMPL
• Unemployed (narrow) UNEN
• Unemployed (broad) UNEB
• Not economically active (narrow) NEAN
• Not economically active (broad) NEAB
• Discouraged work seekers DWSE
• Other not economically active NEAO
• NEA: Student NEAS
• NEA: Home-maker NEAH
• NEA: Illness/disability NEAI
• NEA: Too old/young to work NEAA
• NEA: Other (excluding the above) NEAE
• Unemployment rate (narrow) UNRN
• Unemployment rate (broad) UNRB
• Absorption rate (employed/population) ABRP
• Labour force participation rate (narrow) LPRN
• Labour force participation rate (broad) LPRB
• Contributing towards pension/retirement funds: Yes CPFY
• Contributing towards pension/retirement funds: No CPFN
• Contributing towards pension/retirement funds: Don’t know CPFD
• Entitled to any paid leave: Yes EPLY
• Entitled to any paid leave: No EPLN
• Entitled to any paid leave: Don’t know EPLD
• Entitled to paid sick leave: Yes ESLY
• Entitled to paid sick leave: No ESLN
• Entitled to paid sick leave: Don’t know ESLD
• Entitled to maternity/paternity leave: Yes EMLY
• Entitled to maternity/paternity leave: No EMLN
• Entitled to maternity/paternity leave: Don’t know EMLD
• Contributing towards the UIF: Yes CUFY
• Contributing towards the UIF: No CUFN
• Contributing towards the UIF: Don’t know CUFD
• Medical aid fringe benefits: Yes EMFY
• Medical aid fringe benefits: No EMFN
• Medical aid fringe benefits: Don’t know EMFD
• Income tax (PAYE/SITE) deduction: Yes DITY
• Income tax (PAYE/SITE) deduction: No DITN
• Income tax (PAYE/SITE) deduction: Don’t know DITD
• Condition of employment: Written contract ECWC
• Condition of employment: Verbal agreement ECVA
• Nature of contract/agreement: Limited duration ECLD
• Nature of contract/agreement: Permanent nature ECPN
• Nature of contract/agreement: Unspecified duration ECUD
• Trade union membership: Yes ETUY
• Trade union membership: No ETUN
• Trade union membership: Don’t know ETUD
• How annual salary increment is negotiated: Individual and employer ESNI
• How annual salary increment is negotiated: Union and employer ESNU
• How annual salary increment is negotiated: Bargaining council ESNB
• How annual salary increment is negotiated: Employer only ESNE
• How annual salary increment is negotiated: No regular increment ESNN
• How annual salary increment is negotiated: Other ESNO
• Underemployed: Count UDEC
• Underemployed: Percentage of the labour force UDRL
• Underemployed: Percentage of total employment UDRE
• Unemployed: Job losers UNES
• Unemployed: Job leavers UNEA
• Unemployed: New entrants UNEW
• Unemployed: Re-entrants UNER
• Unemployed: Other UNEO
• Unemployment: Long-term unemployment (one year and more) UNEY
• Unemployment: Short-term unemployment (less than one year) UNEX
• Long-term unemployment: Proportion of the labour force UNYL
• Long-term unemployment: Proportion of the unemployed UNYU
• Unemployed, but worked in the past five years UN5T
• Unemployed, but worked in the past five years: Previous occupation UN5O
• Unemployed, but worked in the past five years: Previous industry UN5I
• Inactivity rate (per cent) INRA
• Not in education nor employment NEET
• Involvement in non-market activities: Subsistence farming NMSF
• Involvement in non-market activities: Fetching water or collecting wood/dung NMWW
• Involvement in non-market activities: Produce other goods for household use NMGH
• Involvement in non-market activities: Construction or major repairs to own or household NMCR
• Involvement in non-market activities: Hunting or fishing for household use NMHF
• Involvement in non-market activities: Involvement in at least one activity NM1A
• Involvement in non-market activities: Involvement in at least one activity, and employed NM1E
• Involvement in non-market activities: Involvement in at least one activity, and unemployed NM1U
• Involvement in non-market activities: Involvement in at least one activity, and NEA NM1N

2. CATEGORY

In this dataflow, the most common category is the total, as shown at the top of the list below, noting that the entire Excel file is restricted to the working age population, 15–64 years old. The first letter of the codes in the data key groups the categories into ‘super-categories’. Please refer to the Standard Industrial Classification version 5.

• Age group: 15-64 years (Total) TOTAL
• Age group: 15-24 years A1524
• Age group: 25-34 years A2534
• Age group: 35-44 years A3544
• Age group: 45-54 years A4554
• Age group: 55-64 years A5564
• Age group: 25-54 years A2554
• Population group: Black/African RBLCK
• Population group: Coloured RCOLR
• Population group: Indian/Asian RASAN
• Population group: White RWHTE
• Industry: Agriculture IAGRA
• Industry: Mining IMINA
• Industry: Manufacturing IMANA
• Industry: Utilities IUTLA
• Industry: Construction ICONA
• Industry: Trade ITRDA
• Industry: Transport ITRNA
• Industry: Finance IFINA
• Industry: Community and social services ISERA
• Industry: Private households IHOSA
• Industry: Other IOTHA
• Industry: Mining: Formal sector IMINF
• Industry: Manufacturing: Formal sector IMANF
• Industry: Utilities: Formal sector IUTLF
• Industry: Construction: Formal sector ICONF
• Industry: Trade: Formal sector ITRDF
• Industry: Transport: Formal sector ITRNF
• Industry: Finance: Formal sector IFINF
• Industry: Community and social services: Formal sector ISERF
• Industry: Private households: Formal sector IHOSF
• Industry: Other: Formal sector IOTHF
• Industry: Mining: Informal sector IMINI
• Industry: Manufacturing: Informal sector IMANI
• Industry: Utilities: Informal sector IUTLI
• Industry: Construction: Informal sector ICONI
• Industry: Trade: Informal sector ITRDI
• Industry: Transport: Informal sector ITRNI
• Industry: Finance: Informal sector IFINI
• Industry: Community and social services: Informal sector ISERI
• Industry: Private households: Informal sector IHOSI
• Industry: Other: Informal sector IOTHI
• Sector: Formal and informal (non-agricultural) SFRIN
• Sector: Formal (non-agricultural) SFORM
• Sector: Informal (non-agricultural) SINFM
• Sector: Agriculture SAGRI
• Sector: Private households SHOUS
• Occupation: Manager OMNGR
• Occupation: Professional OPROF
• Occupation: Technician OTECH
• Occupation: Clerk OCLRK
• Occupation: Sales and services OSALE
• Occupation: Skilled agriculture OAGRI
• Occupation: Crafts and related trades OCRFT
• Occupation: Plant and machinery operators OMACH
• Occupation: Elementary occupations (probably excluding domestic workers) OELEM
• Occupation: Domestic workers ODWRK
• Occupation: Other OOTHR
• Status in employment: Employee TELEE
• Status in employment: Employer TEYER
• Status in employment: Own-account worker TOWNA
• Status in employment: Unpaid household member TUNPD
• Usual hours of work per week: <15 WLT15
• Usual hours of work per week: 15-29 W1529
• Usual hours of work per week: 30-39 W3039
• Usual hours of work per week: 40-45 W4045
• Usual hours of work per week: >45 WGT45
• Education: No schooling ENONE
• Education: Less than primary completed ELTPS
• Education: Primary completed EPRIM
• Education: Secondary not completed ESNOT
• Education: Secondary completed ESECD
• Education: Tertiary ETERT
• Education: Other EOTHR
• Educational attendance: Attending educational institution GATTD
• Educational attendance: Not attending educational institution GANOT
• Marital status: Married MMARR
• Marital status: Living together like husband and wife MLIVE
• Marital status: Widow(er) MWIDW
• Marital status: Divorced or separated MSEPT
• Marital status: Never married MNEVR

AREA (Province/Metro)

The province codes end with “P”.

• South Africa SA
• Western Cape WP
• Western Cape: Non metro WN
• Western Cape: City of Cape Town WC
• Eastern Cape EP
• Eastern Cape: Non metro EN
• Eastern Cape: Buffalo City EB
• Eastern Cape: Nelson Mandela Bay EG
• Northern Cape NP
• Free State FP
• Free State: Non metro FN
• Free State: Mangaung FM
• KwaZulu Natal KP
• KwaZulu Natal: Non metro KN
• KwaZulu Natal: eThekwini KD
• North West TP
  “T” for “Tswana”
• Gauteng GP
• Gauteng: Non metro GN
• Gauteng: Ekurhuleni GE
• Gauteng: Johannesburg GJ
• Gauteng: Tshwane GT
• Mpumalanga MP
• Limpopo LP

SEX

• Any A
• Male M
• Female F

ID: QES

Codera Analytics engineers the aggregate Excel file, loading our structured data into EconData within half an hour of the data being made publicly available by StatsSA.

Overall dataset concepts

The series starts in quarter 3 of 2009, unless otherwise stated.

Supplier source page

Data Key

The data key contains three dimensions. The order of the data_key is:

MAJORDIVISION.INDUSTRY.SERIESNAME

The number of characters in the codes (as outlined below) used in the dimensions are 1, 6, and 2 respectively, with full-stops between the codes in the data key.

When the dimensions are put together, 230 series are available.

MAJOR DIVISION

This dimension records the industry at the SIC major division level, i.e. the top tier of the Standard Industrial Classification hierarchy that groups companies by industry.

• All industries 0
• Mining and quarrying 2
• Manufacturing 3
• Electricity, gas and water supply 4
• Construction 5
• Wholesale, retail and motor trade; hotels and restaurants 6
• Transport, storage and communication 7
• Financial intermediation, insurance, real estate and business services 8
• Community, social and personal services 9

INDUSTRY

This dimension refers to an industry at a more specific level. Each code starts with a letter, M, D, or G. Codes starting with M, D, and G determine whether the series is part of the first, second, or third level of the SIC hierarchy, respectively. The numbers that follow represent a 5-digit SIC code.

• Food, beverages and tobacco D30000
• Textiles, clothing and leather D31000
• Wood and products of wood and cork, except furniture, articles of straw and plainting materials, paper and paper products, publishing, printing and reproduction of recorded media D32000
• Coke, refined petroleum products and nuclear fuel; chemicals and chemical products; rubber and plastic D33000
• Non-metallic mineral products D34000
• Basic metals, fabricated metal products , machinery and equipment and office, accounting and computing machinery D35000
• Electrical machinery and apparatus n.e.c. D36000
• Radio, Television and communication equipment and apparatus and of media, precision and optical instruments, watches and clocks D37000
• Transport equipment D38000
• Furniture, manufacturing n.e.c.; recyling D39000
• Electricity, gas, steam and water supply D41000
• Collection, purification and distribution of water D42000
• Wholesale trade D61000
• Retail trade D62000
• Motor trade D63000
• Hotels and restaurants D64000
• Land transport and transport via pipelines D71000
• Sea and coastal water transport D72000
• Air transport D73000
• Supporting and auxilliary transport activities D74000
• Post and telecommunications D75000
• Financial intermediation (i.e. Banks) except insurance and pension funding D81000
• Insurance and pension funding D82000
• Activities auxiliary to financial intermediation D83000
• Real estate activities D84000
• Renting of machinery and equipment, without operator and of personal and household goods D85000
• Computer and related activities D86000
• Research and development D87000
• Total government sector D9G000
• Total non-government sector D9N000
• Gold G23000
• Non-gold G29999
• Production, processing and preservation of meat, fish, fruit, vegetables, oils and fats G30100
• Dairy products G30200
• Grain mill products, starches and starch products and prepared animal fat G30300
• Other food products G30400
• Beverages and tobacco products G305C0
• Preparation and spinning of textile fibres; weaving of textiles G31100
• Other textiles G31200
• Knitted and crocheted fabrics and articles G31300
• Wearing apparel, except fur; dressing and dyeing of fur, articles of fur G314C0
• Tanning and dressing of leather, luggage, handbags, saddlery and harness G31600
• Footwear G31700
• Sawmilling and planing of wood G32100
• Products of wood, cork, straw and plaiting materials G32200
• Paper and paper products G32300
• Publishing G32400
• Printing and service activities related to printing; reproduction of recorded media G325C0
• Coke oven products; petroleum refineries; processing of nuclear fuel G331C0
• Basic chemicals G33400
• Other chemical products; G33500
• Other chemical products; man-made fibres G335C0
• Rubber products G33700
• Plastic products G33800
• Glass and glass products G34100
• Non-metallic mineral products n.e.c G34200
• Basic iron and steel G35100
• Basic precious and non-ferrous metals G35200
• Casting of metals G35300
• Structural metal products, tanks, reservoirs and steam generators G35400
• Other fabricated metal products; metalwork service activities G35500
• General purpose machinery G35600
• Special purpose machinery G35700
• Household appliances n.e.c G35800
• Office, accounting and computing machinery G35900
• Electric motors, generators and transformers G36100
• Electricity distribution and control apparatus G36200
• Insulated wire and cable G36300
• Accumulators, primary cells and primary batteries G36400
• Accumulators, primary cells and primary batteries and Electric lamps and lighting equipment G364C0
• Electric lamps and lighting equipment G36500
• Other electrical equipment n.e.c. and G36600
• Electronic valves and tubes and other electronic components; television and radio transmitters and apparatus for line telephony and line telegraphy G371C0
• Television and radio receivers, sound or video recording or reproducing apparatus and associated goods G37300
• Medical appliances and instruments and appliances for measuring, checking, testing, navigating and for other purposes, except optical instruments G37400
• Optical instruments and photographic equipment; watches and clocks G375C0
• Motor vehicles G38100
• Bodies for motor vehicles, trailers, and semi-trailers G38200
• Parts and accessories for motor vehicles and their engines G38300
• Building and repairing of ships and boats G38400
• Railway and tramway locomotives and rolling stock; aircraft and spacecraft G385C0
• Transport equipment n.e.c G38700
• Furniture G39100
• Manufacturing n.e.c G39200
• Recycling n.e.c G39500
• Site preparation G50100
• Building of complete constructions or parts thereof, civil engineering G50200
• Building installation G50300
• Building completion G50400
• Renting of construction/demolition equipment with operators G50500
• Legal, accounting, bookkeeping and auditing activities G88100
• Architectural, engineering and other technical activities G88200
• Advertising G88300
• Business activities n.e.c. G88900
• National departments G91101
• Provincial departments G91102
• Extra Budgetary institutions G91109
• Local government G91300
• Other educational institutions G92000
• TVET colleges G92004
• Universities and technikons G92005
• Health and social work G93000
• Other community, social and personal services G94000
• Activities of membership organisation G95000
• Recerational, cultural and sporting activities G96000
• Other service activities G99000
• All Industries Total M00000
• Mining and quarrying M20000
• Manufacturing M30000
• Electricity, gas and water supply M40000
• Construction M50000
• Wholesale, retail and motor trade; hotels and restaurants M60000
• Transport, storage and communication M70000
• Financial intermediation, insurance, real estate and business services M80000
• Community, social and personal services M90000

SERIES NAME

This dimension refers to the statistic measured by the QES, which is either employment (number of persons) or earnings (nominal, in ZAR).

• Employment EM
• Earnings ER

Dataset ID: STP

The data used for this analysis was primarily built from the IRP5/IT3a tax form, which is a submission (mandatory since 2011) completed by each Pay-as-you-Earn (PAYE) registered employer for all employees earning more than R2000 per annum. The anonymised IRP5/IT3a data available within the National Treasury Secure Data Facility includes details relating to each individual (income, gender, age and industry), and importantly, information relating to the work address (currently a postal code). This field is generally populated for 90% of all certificates. This data is then combined with firm level information from the:

• ITR14 tax return form – which includes details relating to firms such as industry, turnover, firm size (according to SARS definition) etc.,
• VAT submissions – which includes details relating to industry, and
• Customs data – which includes details relating to the import/export status of firms. It is important to note that data used from these other forms are reported at a firm level rather than a branch/establishment level.

Project website: https://spatialtaxdata.org.za/

Reference

Nell, A. Visagie, J. Spatial Tax Panel 2014-2024 [dataset]. Version 5.1. National Treasury – Cities Support Programme and Human Sciences Research Council [producer and distributor], 2025.

Detailed, original metadata document.

Through EconData, Codera supplies the median income and employment variables, for free, aggregated by:

• Tax year;
• Sex;
• Youth;
• Province;
• District; and
• First digit of the SICv7 industry classification.

Attributes

• Source Dataset (“Spatial Tax Panel (National Treasury)”)
• Unit of Measure People for FTE, or Rands for Median Income
• Price Transformation (“Nominal” for Median Income)
• Frequency (Annual)
• Unit of Multiplication (Units)

Dimensions

1. Mnemonic

Codelist: CL_STP

• Full-time Equivalent Employees FE
  The number of full time equivalent (FTE) employees as calculated based on combinations of the “periods worked from”, “periods worked to”, “total periods worked” and “periods in year of assessment” data recorded in IRP5/IT3a certificates. Where one FTE employee equates to an individual that worked for 100% of the temporal period and 0.5 FTE employees equates to a person that worked for 50% of the corresponding temporal period (six months for a tax year or 15 days for a 30 day month).
• Median Income MI
  The median income weighted by full time equivalent employees based on incomes of all employees within an aggregation. This variable uses nominal values, and this can be adjusted to real values by end-users.

2. Region (national, province, or district)

Codelist: CL_ZA_AREA

3. Gender

Codelist: CL_QLFS_SEX

• Any A
• Female F
• Male M

4. Industry (Major division)

Codelist: CL_SIC7_MAJOR_DIVISION

5. Age categories

Codelist: CL_AGE3

• All A
• 15–24 1524
• 25–34 2534
• 35–119 35119