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Survey of activities of young people in  South Africa

 

Key findings

 

Statistics South Africa 2000

 

Commissioned by Department of Labour, South Africa

The survey: 

  •    Conducted by Stats SA.  

  •    Commissioned by the Department of Labour  in South Africa.

  •    Funding organised by International Labour Organisation (ILO).

  •    United States Department of Labour provided most of the funding.

  •    Technical assistance: ILO, Department of Labour  in South Africa.

  •    An advisory committee representing government departments and non-governmental organisations assisted with the survey.

Child-labour, in its exploitative sense, is rare in South Africa.

  • 1,4% of the 13,4 million children aged 5 to 17 years were engaged in commercial agriculture in mid 1999.
  • 0,4%  were engaged in manufacturing
  • An even smaller proportion (less than 0,05%) were engaged in construction or mining.

South African children aged between 5 and 17 years are, however, expected to undertake various activities to help financially and generally, both at home and at school. For most children this type of activity does not take up a large proportion of their time, and is not necessarily harmful or dangerous.  

The activities in South Africa performed by children, excluding formal learning and leisure, can be directly linked to culture, child-rearing practices and life circumstances. 

The activities in South Africa performed by children, excluding formal learning and leisure, can be directly linked to culture, child rearing practices and life circumstances.

Key findings: 

Background

The children of South Africa aged 5 – 17 years

Approximately 13,4 million children aged 5 – 17 years were living in South Africa in June - July 1999

  • African 80% (10,6 million), coloured 9% (1,3 million), white 8% (1,2 million), Indian 2% (0,3 million).  

  • 49% (6,3 million) were living in deep rural areas, (mainly former homelands), 37% (5,3 million) in formal urban settlements, 7% (0,9 million) in informal urban settlements, and 7% (0,9 million) on commercial farms.

Living conditions of children aged 5 – 17 years  

Fuel for cooking:

  • 37% of children’s households used electricity for cooking,

  • 37% used wood,

  • 17% used paraffin, and

  • 10% used other sources e.g. coal, gas and dung.

  • 65% in deep rural areas used wood for cooking.

  • 53% on commercial farms used wood for cooking.

  • 60% in informal settlements used paraffin for cooking.

Tap water in the dwelling or on site:

Found in:

  • 49% of children’s households altogether

  • 16% of children’s households in rural areas,

  • 42% in urban informal settlements,

  • 53% commercial farms,

  • 94% in formal urban areas.

Family circumstances of South African Children

Activities of children (excluding formal learning and leisure)

Children aged 5-14 and 15-17 years who are engaged in economic activities

Proportion of children who were involved in these activities by time per week spent on them

Time based definitions of children's economic and non-economic activities

Economic activities

At least three hours per week (including unpaid domestic work and fetching wood and/or water)

Non-economic activities
  • Household chores:  at least seven hours per week
  • School labour:  at least five hours per week

Children who were engaged in economic and non-economic activities ussing time-based definition by age, population group, gender and area of residence.

Percentage of children who were engaged in each economic activity using the time-based definition by type of activity and gender

Reasons for working among children engaged in economic activities for pay, profit or economic family gain

Income per month, among children engaged in economic activity for pay, profit or economic family gain, using time-based cut-off points by population group

Family situation of children engaged in economic and non-economic activities

Children's work more likely to be associated with:

  • single-parent families or
  • living with grandparents or
  • living without any of these relatives

Effects of children's activities on schooling

  • Children engaged in work for 36 hours or more per week less likely to attend school than those engaged for 35 hours or less per week
  • 6% of boys and 1% of girls aged between 5-17 years who were working said that the work that they were doing actually kept them out of school

Percentage of children aged 10-17 years who are not literate i.e who have attained an education level of Grade 4 or lower (including no education), by whether or not they were engaged in economic activities (broad definition)

Illness or injuries as a result of work 

  • 2% of children engaged in work for pay, profit or family gain indicated that they had become ill, or that they had an illness which had become worse as a result of the work they were doing.

  • 4% of children claimed that they had been injured at work.

  • The main causes of injury were a fall or a falling object (42%), or machinery and tools (33%).

    Overview of findings

  • The child aged 5 – 17 years, who may be engaged in either economic or non-economic activity, is likely to be African.

  • S/he is more likely to be living in the deep rural parts of the country, particularly former ‘homelands’.

  • The household is less likely to have access to electricity for cooking.

  • The household is also less likely to have piped water, either inside the dwelling or on site.