Exploring the Potential for a Hybrid Census in South Africa: Integrating Traditional and Emerging Methodologies

Mercy Shoko, Statistics South Africa
Lesego Lefakane, Statistics South Africa
Salmon Likoko, Department of Social Development

Conducting a comprehensive national population and housing census (census) is vital for national statistical offices (NSOs) globally. However, traditional census methods in South Africa encounter significant hurdles, including respondent fatigue and reaching "hard-to-count populations." These challenges have been further compounded by health, socio-economic, and environmental catastrophes. The COVID-19 crisis notably disrupted South Africa's 2020 census round, underscoring the imperative for thoughtful approaches to future censuses in the country. This study investigates the viability of a hybrid census model, melding traditional methods with a register-based approach, to tackle these obstacles. Leveraging research indicating readiness for a register-based census and insights from prior censuses, the hybrid model emerges as a promising avenue for bolstering future census initiatives in South Africa. By assessing its feasibility and efficacy, this study seeks to offer valuable insights to optimize census methodologies in the country, considering the continually changing landscape that characterises the environment in which censuses are conducted.