The relationship between settlement type and undercount in the South African census of 2011

Holding a population and housing census is both a momentous undertaking and a costly challenge for any government. It requires vast planning and organising, but the results are vital for constructive planning. The aim of a census is to collect, process and disseminate detailed statistics on population size, composition and distribution at small-area level. As an undercount could affect the trust and use of census data, a major challenge in any census is dealing with the effects of an undercount. This article investigates some of the causes of the undercount in the South African National census of 2011, and how these causes vary across different geographic areas. The aim of the investigation is to determine the relationship between settlement type and the undercount in the 2011-census with the intention of laying the groundwork for lower undercounts in future censuses and survey implementation strategies. The key objectives of this article are to determine whether geographic location affects the census undercount and to understand how results based on geographic location are distributed spatially across the country.

Ho tsamaisa palo ea sechaba le ea mehaho eo batho ba phelang ho oona, ke ntho e kholohadi ebile e ja chelete e ngata ho ‘muso o mong le o mong. Ke ntho e hlokang ditukiso tse tebileng fela qetellong sephetho sa teng ke se mererong e hlophisitsoeng. Sepheo sa palo ea sechaba ke ho akaralletsa, ho sebebetsana le ho tlaleha dipalopalo tse phethahetseng tsa batho ka hara naha, le hore na batho ba bokellane ka mokhoa oo joang libakeng tse nyane ka hara naha. Ka ha ho se bale ka ho lekana ho ka ama ho sebelisa dipalopalo tsa sechaba ka bots’epehi, bothata ba ho ho se bale ka ho lekana bo tlameha ho qojoa mme se batleloe pheko ea mathata ao e se bakang ha e se e etsahetse. Serapa sena se shebisisa ditlamorao tsa ho se bale ka ho lekana palong ea sechaba, Afrika Borwa, selemong sa 2011, le hore na ditlamorao tsena di fapana joang di karolong ka ho fapana tsa naha. Sepheo sa chebisiso ena e ne e le ho bona kamahano ea mefuta ea bolulo le ho se bale ka ho lekana palong ea sechaba ea selemo sa 2011, ka morero oa ho beha dinomoro tsa ho se bale ka ho lekana tlase le mekhoa ea ho fumana mohlodi oa pokello hore palo tsa sechaba tsa bokamoso di tle di phethahale hantle. Dipheo tse bohlokoa tsa serapa sena e ne e le (i) ho bona hore na ho se bale ka ho lekana ho amme libaka tsa naha ka ho fapana; le (ii) ho utloisisa hore na diphetho tsa naha di ka hara naha joang.