Please find attached soundbite by Jan de Villiers MP.
-General Household Survey exposes governance divide,
-Opportunity grows where DA governs,
-Better government means better lives for all South Africans.
The latest General Household Survey findings have demonstrated that the DA governs better for all residents who experience better outcomes and more effective service delivery.
The survey highlights the growing challenges facing many South Africans, particularly in ANC-governed provinces and municipalities where food insecurity, grant dependency, and housing pressures continue to worsen.
Nationally, 22,0% of households now report inadequate or severely inadequate access to food, up from 17,8% in 2019. Individual food insecurity has also increased sharply, with 24,7% of South Africans reporting limited access to food compared to 19,5% five years ago.
The Western Cape records the lowest individual grant dependency rate in South Africa at 25,1%, while household dependency in the province is also among the lowest nationally at 41,4%. Cape Town further records the lowest individual grant receipt rate of all metros at 21,8%, just over half the national average of 39,5%.
The same trend is reflected in Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant uptake. The Western Cape records the lowest uptake in the country at just 3,6%, compared to Limpopo at 20,5% and North West at 19,7%. These figures demonstrate that where governments focus on economic growth, investment, and job creation, more people are able to earn an income, support their families, and build a future with dignity.
At the same time, the Western Cape continues to lead the country on core service delivery indicators. The province has the highest access to mains electricity in South Africa at 96,5%, while daily electricity interruptions are almost non-existent at just 0,7%, compared to 13,2% in Mpumalanga.
The dramatic reduction in loadshedding interruptions nationally, with households experiencing electricity interruptions dropping from 92,1% in 2023 to 31,0% in 2025 is thanks to sustained DA pressure on Eskom and NERSA to accelerate generation reform and expand energy competition has played an important role in driving this progress.
The Western Cape also leads nationally on water access and reliability. An impressive 99,5% of households in the province have access to piped or tap water on- or off-site, while Cape Town records the best performance of all metros at 99,7%.
Importantly, only 6,2% of households in the Western Cape experienced water interruptions lasting longer than two days, compared to a national average of 37,6%. Nearly 75% of households in the province experienced no water interruptions at all during the past year.
The Western Cape leads the country with 68,2% of households relying primarily on salaries and wages as their main source of income, compared to provinces where grant dependency continues to rise under ANC rule.
These findings affirm that when governments put people first, focus on creating jobs, and deliver reliable services, communities are safer, families are more secure, and people have a fair chance to get ahead.
The DA remains committed to governing for every resident — regardless of where they live, who they voted for, or their background — because better government should improve life for all South Africans.