Why Gauteng believes SA is going the wrong way

30 000 residents were interviewed in wards across the province between July 2015 and May 2016. It found overall that the quality of life for Gauteng residents has improved slightly since 2013. There is also a higher level of satisfaction over service delivery. 

Pieter van der Merwe reports...

The main concern, however, was the economic situation. South Africa is facing a possible recession after the negative GDP figures recorded in the first quarter of 2016. A majority of residents in Gauteng said this was their biggest concern with levels of satisfaction significantly lower than the other areas surveyed.

The head of research at the Gauteng City-Region Observatory, Graeme Götz, said satisfaction with the economy was at a shocking 22%.

"The economy is facing head winds, 46% of businesses fail in this province," he said. 

Götz added the number of people starting their own businesses has dropped from 11% in 2013 to 8% in 2015.

While more than 60% of the respondents said they feel the country is headed in the wrong direction, only 52% believe the upcoming local government election will be free and fair.

The survey further recorded a higher level of dissatisfaction with government. The figures revealed that government fell out of favour with residents especially during times such as the sacking of former Finance Minister Nhanhla Nene.

But there was also a higher level of satisfaction with residents, potentially resulting in a larger group of undecided voters.

Gauteng Premier David Makhura, who attended the briefing along with a number of mayors, said it is clear that government has its work cut out. He added the data correlated with what government has been hearing from communities themselves.

"The majority of people who live in Gauteng are outside the mainstream of our economy. We can't transform our economy; we can't transform society if the municipalities don't play this increasingly important role," explained Makhura.

But the premier is also confident that government will soon have an economic advantage. He said government has adopted a new economic plan.

"In that plan we have identified a set of interventions in the local and provincial economy in sectors that give us decisive advantage," he said.

Makhura also stressed the importance of the perceptions revealed by the survey. He said the Gauteng government and municipalities are increasingly making use of data and research to inform their decisions.