Over the next few weeks, Standard Bank is issuing a seven-part series of reports on consumer behaviour and trends.
Over the next few weeks, Standard Bank is issuing a seven-part series of reports on consumer behaviour and trends.
Last week we brought you an overview of their macro analysis of how people will be spending their money in the short to medium term. Here is the summary of their "Consumer Income Trends" report in which their economist, Zaakirah Ismail, analyses South Africa's consumer income using data from the Bureau of Market Research (BMR).
It covers such areas as personal income dynamics, demographics and employment per income group and the extend to which demographic factors determine personal income. Here's an overview of their findings.
Low income groups are heavily reliant on the government for social grants (around 40%).
Middle income groups rely mainly on salaries and wages (60% – 70%) while the upper income group relies on salaries and wages (33% – 61%), net profits (21% – 30%) and investments (5% – 32%) as their main sources of income.
Black South Africans are predominantly employed in lower income groups, while, on the other hand White and Indian/Asian South Africans are predominantly employed in higher income groups.
There is also a noticeably higher employment rate of White South Africans who are over the age of 65.
There are higher levels of education (completed schooling and tertiary education) prevalent in higher income groups and lower levels of education (incomplete primary- and secondary schooling) in the lower-income groups. This helps to quantify the benefits of investing in public education.
Standard Bank finds a positive correlation between age and income. Older individuals fall into higher income groups, while younger individuals are in lower-income groups.
The probability of being in a lower income group with no schooling is 93%, with a matric its 62% and with a tertiary education, the probability of being in a lower income group is only 47%.
On the other hand, the probability of being in a higher income group with no schooling is 0.3%, with a matric its 2.2% and with a tertiary education, the probability is only 4.1%.
If an individual lives in a more urbanized province such as Gauteng, the probability that they are in a higher/middle/lower income group is 1%, 21% and 78%.
This is better compared to a less urbanized province such as the Northern Cape, where the probability that they are in a higher, middle or lower income group is 0.7%, 16% and 84%.
If one is unemployed, the probability of being in a lower, middle or high income group is 93%, 7% and 0.3% compared to if one is employed, where the probability of being in a lower, middle or high income group is 72%, 27% and 1%.
If one is female, the probability of being in a lower, middle or high income group is 84%, 15% and 0.7% compared to if one is male, where the probability of being in a lower, middle or high income group for a male is 78%, 21% and 1%.
If one is Black, the probability of being in a lower, middle or high income group is 86%, 14% and 0.6% compared to if one is White, where the probability of being in a lower, middle or high income group for a male is 65%, 33% and 2%.
The older an individual, the higher the probability that they are in in a higher income group.
