Blacks still suffer from an inordinate paucity of employment, education and income opportunities.
This gloomy picture of the economy is painted by the annual Household Survey conducted by the Central Statistical Service. The survey shows that a large portion of blacks still live in poverty and have no access to electricity, water, sanitation and other household services. The position is more severe in rural areas. In spite of efforts to bolster economic activity in the Eastern Cape, it remains the province with the highest unemployment levels. Mpumalanga is in the middle of the nine provinces and the Western Cape boasts the highest employment figures.