South Africa spends 5.4% of GDP on education. This amounts to over R80 billion Rands per year. For the world as a whole, the figure is 4.5%. (Economist Pocket World in Figures)

This week’s theme: Back to school

The primary pupil-teacher ratio is South Africa is 35:1. In the USA it is 15:1 (World Bank Development Report)

This week’s theme: Back to school

22% of learners take 30 minutes or more to get to school (GHS 2006)

This week’s theme: Back to school

There are 13 million children in South Africa aged between 6 and 18. 93% are currently attending an educational institution (GHS 2006)

This week’s theme: Back to school

21% of South African sun bathers are aged 50 or more (AMPS2007)

This week’s theme: Back from the holidays

There were 8.5m foreign travelers (including African countries) to South Africa in 2006. (StatsSA Tourism and Migration Statistical release)

This week’s theme: Back from the holidays

26% of overseas visitors to SA in Dec 2006 (latest December for which data is available) were from the UK, followed by Germany and the USA (both roughly 10%) (StatsSA Tourism and Migration Statistical release)

This week’s theme: Back from the holidays

The number of fatalities on South Africa’s roads in December 2007 (1,202) dropped by 18 percent from December of 2006 (1,465) (Arrive Alive Website)

This week’s theme: Back from the holidays