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2012 State of the Nation address: all about the Numbers
 
With an overview of government work since 2009, President Zuma noted some encouraging statistics including 365 000 new jobs created in 2011, five major infrastructure projects and 11 000 newly-qualified artisans.

SOME KEY STATISTICS

14 000 school leavers were placed in workplace learning opportunities in 2011.

11 000 artisans completed trade tests in 2011.

R200-million was spent in 2011 to help 25 000 students repay university debt.

2% of government employees in the public service must be disabled persons, by order of President Zuma.

23.9% was South Africa's unemployment rate in the fourth quarter of 2011.

365 000 is the number of new formal sector jobs created in 2011. this marks the country's best performance since the international recession of 2008-2009.

2 500 applications have been received since government launched its Jobs Fund in June 2011. More than R1-billion has been committed to this project.

100 years ago, the African National Congress (ANC) was founded in 1912.

16 years ago, the South African Constitution came into being in 1996.

146 countries had official ambassadors keenly listening in Parliament on Thursday evening as President Jacob Zuma spoke to the nation.

R8.4-billion has been invested into seven key projects supporting new industrial projects and manufacturing.

R1.5-billion has been approved for 60 companies to promote job creation spearheaded by the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC).

5 new major infrastructure projects will be undertaken in 2012 as part of a new state infrastructure drive.

R300-billion will be invested by Transnet (state transport and logistics) in capital projects over the next five years. Of this, R200-billion is marked rail and port infrastructure projects.

R1-billion will be cut from port charges paid by exporters of manufactured goods this year.

R300-million is to be used to start building new universities in Mpumalanga and the Northern Cape.

R1-billion is marked for housing loans for lower-income earners. Allocations to start April 2012, managed by the National Housing Finance Corporation.

R83 000 is the subsidy amount for people earning between R3 500 and R15 000 per month. Provincial governments will enable them to obtain housing finance from accredited banks.

220 000 solar geysers have been installed countrywide through Eskom's energy efficiency incentives. The government's target is one-million solar geysers by 2015.

705 000 learners enrolled for Grade R in 2011. That more than doubled the 2003 figure of 300 000. Government's target for 2014 is 100% enrollment.

8-million learners now attend zero-fee schools and more than 8-million learners are sustained by school feeding schemes.
 

HIGHLIGHTS noted by President Zuma were:  

• South Africa will spend billions of rands on new infrastructure in the coming years, focusing on rail and road projects, economic links in five regions in the country, new universities and refurbished hospitals.

 • Universal access to education and improved learning and teaching opportunities are starting to pay off.
 
•  Outstanding athlete Oscar Pistorius recently received a prestigious Laureus award as World Sportsperson with a Disability. As the third South African to win this international award, he has set an extremely high standard for all sporting codes.

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*Stats compiled from www.southafrica.info