Useful sources about Africa

Two geographic information system (GIS) inventories of protected and conservation areas in South Africa: the South African Protected Areas Database (SAPAD) and the South African Conservation Areas Database (SACAD). They include data on privately owned protected and conservation areas.

The South African Child Gauge is published annually by the Children’s Institute at the University of Cape Town to track progress towards the realisation of children’s rights. The 2017 issue focuses on children and the sustainable development goals.

UNICEF's 2015 Profile of Child Marriage in Africa report sheds light on the realities of child marriage on the continent with well-visualised data. It references South Africa, but the report is better used as an overall account of child marriage in Africa.

The National Income Dynamic Study provides data on how individuals' lives have changed in South Africa since 2008. It is published by the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation. First-time users have to register before downloading the datasets.

The Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation conducted this brief review of literature on gender-based violence with the aim of using the findings to inform its gender violence prevention initiatives in communities across South Africa. The study was funded by the Finnish Embassy and was published in April 2016.

Published by the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation in 2016, this report maps local gender-based violence prevention and response strategies in South Africa.

Violence against Women in South Africa: a Country in Crisis explores the experiences and insights of female survivors of violence. It uses life histories, case studies and focus group discussions to capture the lived reality of survivors of violence and explains the high rates of violence against women through their own voices. The report has an interesting methodology that includes the "voice" of survivors, but its recommendations are familiar to those working in the gender-based violence field in South Africa.

The Corruption Perceptions Index, published by Transparency International since 1995, ranks countries by perceived levels of corruption as determined by surveys and expert assessments. The most recent rating is from 2016 and includes South Africa's position.

This Statistics South Africa report analyses data from the 2016 community survey and general household surveys from 2002 to 2015. It evaluates water and sanitation conditions in South Africa and provides data on government spending and performance in the sector.