Price Is

University of Cape Town

Department of Social Science ̂̂ I ' ^ ^

SERIES OF REPORTS AND STUDIES

ISSUED BY THE

SOCIAL SURVEY OF CAPE TOWN

P O V E E T Y AMO N G E U R O P E A N H O M E S

cl. N o . S S I O

B O L T O N , C .T .

UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN

DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SCIENCE

REi?ORTS AND STUDIES

OF

THE SOCIAL SURVEY OF CAPE TOWN

BY

EDWARD BATSON

PROFESSOR OF SOCIAL SCIENCE

THE SOCIAL SURVEY OF CAPE TOWN IS CONDUCTED BY THE DEPARTMENT >F SOCIAL SCIENCE AND FINANCED BY A

GENEROUS GRANT TO THE U N IV E R S I T Y rROM THE CARNEGIE CORPORATION

1942

T H E D I S T R I B U T I O N O F P O V E R T Ym

A M O N G E U R O P E A N H O U S E H O L D S

I N C A P E T O W N

THE SOCIAL SURVEY OP CAPE TOWN REPORT No. SS 10

During 1930-39, the Social Survey of Capo Town conducted an investigation of a "random" sample of all tho private households in the Municipality, i .e . of all tho hones in the ordinary sense of the term, but omitting hotels, "boarding houses, and institu­tions of all kinds. A fuller description of the methods and objects of this investigation is given in Report SS 9 of .tho pre­sent Series. Hero it will suffice to state that the sampling method had tho disadvantage of yielding only approximate statist­ics of Capo Tovai as a whole; but that it had tho advantage of costing only a few hundred pounds, while a complete sociological census, if it had been practicable, would have cost tens of thou­sands of pounds. Tho disadvantage is in fact not serious, since tho statistical randomicity of tho sample enables us to state with a high degree of accuracy tho limits within which our approxima­tions are°truo; and those limits are sufficiently narrow for the

purposes in view [ see Appendix B].

One thousand and seventeen European private households were en u m erated in the'sample, and the statistics in the present Re­

port are all based upon thia sample. If we multiply the number 1017 by the appropriate "sa iling factor" we arrive at the number 30 500. This number is tho most pi-obable estimate tliat our data enable us to make of the total number of European households in

the Municipality at tho time of the investigation, but it may not be talccn as procisc. We are able, however, to state "the range within which it is roliablc. If we are content to base our est­imate upon statistical odds of 20 to 1, odds which in biological and social investigation are usually accepted as or/fc^blishing reasonable certainty for experimental purposes, we can say that the total number of European households in Cape Town lay within 4.5 per cent, of 30,500, i .e . that it lay between 29,100 and 31,900. If we wish to be especially cautious and increase *ur odds to 100 to 1, we need only increase our range to 5.7 and may safely conclude that the true figure lies between 28,800 and 32,200. The ftdds are ten thousand to one against the true figure being as low as 28,000 or as high as 33,000.

Selecting the degree of statistical risk which we are pre­

pared to run (and remembering that all human enumerations and computations are subject to error), we may draw from our data, with a known range of accuracy, conclusions respecting the Yhole

population of Cape Tom. This is done in the Tables in this Report, in which -the following conventions have b^nn adopted:-

(a) the statistics recorded as "probable" are those drawn directfrom the sample. [ P in the Tables,] They represent the "best

single estimates that the data permit.

(b) the "likely" limits define the range corresponding to statisticalodds of 20 to 1, which aro adequate for many practical purposes,

[LL in the Tables],

(c) the "cautious" limits correspond to odd3 of 100 to 1 and may betaken as establishing virtual certainty. [CL in the Tables].

The 1017 European households in the sample wore classified as either (i) Marmni Workers' Households, or (ii) Business and professional Households.Since a full description of this classification ia given in Report SS 6, it

will suffice here to state that the classification was based on the nature of the occupation ©f the Head of the household, or of the ohief earner where the Head was not gainfully occupied. Of the sampled households, 411 wore classed as Manual Workers' Households. Multiplying this number by the sampling factor, we deduce that the total number of Manual Walkers' Households in the whole

Municipality at the time of the investigation was;

P 12,300Hi 11,200-13,400 CL 10,900-13,700;

and therefore that the t#tal number of Business and Professional Households

m :p ’ 18,100LL 17,000-19,200CL 16,700-19,500.

Of the if11 Manual Workers' Households in the sample, twelve per cent, were found t* have, during the week of the investigation, incomes below the Poverty Datum Line, and 88 per cent., therefore, to have incomes on or above

the Poverty Datum Line.

The method of calculating the Poverty Datum Line is explained in Report SS 3. Here it will suffice to explain that the Poverty Datum Line is drawn for each household at that level of incore which would permit the payment of the rent of the dwelling actually occupied by the household and would leave an amount Just sufficient fcr the purchase of the food, clothing, and clean­ing, heating, and lighting materials, which are essential for health and decency. The Poverty Datum Lino does not represent a 'human' or 'civilized' standard of living, but only a puroly 'physical' standard of health and

decency.

The proportions in the sample aro an indication of the socio-economic status of all European Manual Workers' Households in Capo Town at the time of

the investigation, with ho dogreo of approximation shown in Table 10.1

TABLE | 0 . |

EUROPEAN MANUAL WORKERS' HOUSEHOLDS BELOW POVERTY DATUM LINE

P LL CL

PERCENTAGE 12 8 - 1 6 7 - 1 7THOUSANDS 1 . 5 1 , 0 - 2 . 0 0 , 9 - 2 . I

EB 0 5 12 - 4 | / 6 0 |

For various technical reasons, dealt with more fully in. Report No.SS 9, it is very difficult to make similar calculations for households

belonging to the Business and Professional Class. Prom indirect evi­dence it is, however, clear that the number of households in this class in Cape Town which would have fallen holer?/ the Poverty Datum Line is very small. The number of households below tho Poverty Datum Lina with­in the limual Workers' Class represents a minimum estimate of the number in the whole European population of tho Municipality, and a minimum which must "be very close to the true figure. In the tables following, the difference between this minumum aid the true figure has been negloctod.

On this basis it m s found that five per cent, of the households in the v/hole sample of European households were below tho Poverty Datum Line, and 95 per cent, therefore on or above it. (Tho corresponding percentages for tho Colourod population of the Municipality were 53 and V7

respectively.)

The Municipality of Cape Town is divided into fifteen wards [ see Appendix A] which, for tho purposes of tho Social Survey, have boon grouped

as folliws:-

WESTERN AREA [Wards 1, 4, and 5] = tho districts encircling Lion’ s Head.

CENTRAL AREA [Wards 2, 3, 6, and 7] = the sca-vrard part of old Cape Town.

EASTERN AREA [ Wards 8, 9, and 11] = the districts around the estu­

ary of the Salt Rivor.

SOUTHER!! AREA. [Wards 10, 12, 13, 12f, and 15] 3 the "Southern Suburbs'1.

Although statements about Areas as units will not necessarily describe every section of such Areas, tho Areas have individual sociological charac­teristics which make it convenient to tabulate our data separately for each.

In so doing, however, we necessarily lose a certain amount of precision in

our statistical estimates.

T ABLE JO .2

HOUSEHOLDS BELOW THE POVERTY DATUM LINE

AS PERCENTAGE OF HOUSEHOLDS FOUND IN THE SAMPLES

AS PERCENTAGE OF SAMPLEAREA

9F EUROPEAN MANUAL WORKERS'

HOUSEHOLDS

I F ALLEUROPEAN

HOUSEHOLDS

Western 2

j90

Central 6 3

i Ear+orn 14 11

Southern 15 5

1| Municipality 12

' ' ' " ' '

5 !

HOUSEHOLDS BELG,. THE POVERTY OATUui LINE

AS PERCENTAGE OF ALL EUROPEAN i.'.Ai.UAL ORKERS* HOUSEHOLDS

,o IN EACH AREA THOUSANDS IN EACH AREAAREAA nLA

p

i

LL CL

........... ■- j

P LL CL

| ■ i

'T o s t e m 2 0-7 0 - 8••

0 . 0-0 . 1 0 . 0-0 . 1

1

C e n t r a l 6 1O

0 1 ON 0 . 1

j

0 . 0-0 . 2 j 0 . 0 -0 . 2

E a s t e r n : 14 8-20 7-21 0 . 3 0 . 4 - 1.1 0 . 3- 1 . 2

S o u t h e r n 15 1 1-19 10-20

... v .....

0 . 7 0 . 4 - 1 . 0 0 . 3- 1.1

.i i n i c . 12

1...... ................. i

8-16 7-17

J

1 . 5 1 . 0-2 . 0 0 . 9-2. 1

" negligible

TABLE 10.4

HOUSEHOLDS ON OR ABOVE THE POVERTY DATUU LINE

AS PERCENT/.:E OF ALL EUROPEAN LAHUAL WORKERS’ HOUSEHOLDS

AREA, IN EACH AREA THOUSANDS IN EACH AREA

p LL CL P LL CL

'.re s t e m......98 93-100 9 2 - 1 0 0 1.6 I . 6- 1 . 7 1. 6- 1. 7

Central 94 8 6 - 1 0 0 84-100 1.0 •1ON•o

0 . 9 - 1 . 1

Eastern 86

CVJON1oCO 79-93 4 .6 4 . 3-5.0 4 .2-5.0

Southern 85 81- 89 80- 90 3 .6 3 .3- 3.9 3.2-4.0

: . juci i6 . 88 84 -92 83-93 10 .8 10.3-11.3 10.2-1 1.4________________ j

From the above Tables, it follows that there was a lower per­

centage of poverty amory., European liaiiual Workers' Households in the Western Area than in either the Eastern or Southern Area. Probably the proportion in the Central Area was greater than in the Western

Area and less than in either the Eastern or Southern Area, but this cannot be determined with certainty from the data tabulated.

It also follows with a very high degree of probability that

the proportion of poverty among all European households was greater in the Eastern Area than in any of the others; and it is likely that the proportion was lower in the Western Area than in any of the others.

Working from the Poverty Datum Line, wo nay classify all house­holds according to the following arbitrary standards:

CLASS[ a v a i l a b l e i n c o m e

INCOME RATIO '' T0 POVERTY DATUM L INE]

"DESTITUTION"

"ACUTE POVERTY"

"NEED"

"NOT IN NEED"

NEGATIVE

P O S I T I V E , BUT LESS THAN 50 #

AT LEAST 50 BUT LESS THAN |00 %

AT LEAST 100 %

Of the households in the sample of Lanual Workers' Households, one per cent, were found to be "destitute", two per cent, were found in "acute poverty", nine per cent, were found to be "in need", and 88 per cent, were '’not in need". (the reader is warned to attach at this

stage no other significance to these descriptive labels than that indicated in the schedule above.) From these proportions, the foil own­ing conclusions may be drawn with regard to the socio-economic strati­fication of all the private European IJanual Workers' Households in the Municipality at the time of the investigation:

* The Available Inome is that remaining after the payment of rent and wage-eamers' transport. The FDL (Poverty Datum Line) income is that necessary for the purchase of the minimum essentials for health and decency [ see Report S S 3] • The stratification in the schedule above owes inspiration to the Bristol Survey.

L

HOUSEHOLDS BELOW THE POVERTY DATUM LINE

AS PERCENTAGE OF ALL EUROPEAN HOUSEHOLDS

AREAPERCENTAGE IN EACH AREA THOUSANDS IN EACH AREA

P L LCL P LL

iit

CL

■Western

A

••0-4 0-5

r- ........... f-------——

O.O-O.i 0.0-Q.I

Central 3 0-7

CO1o

" I 0.0-0.2 0.0-0.2»

Eastern ,, 6-16 5-17 •1•oCO•o

0.3-1.2

Southern 5 3-7 2-8 0.7 0.4-1.0 0.3-1.1

Limicip. 5 3-7 3-7 1.5 j I . 0-2.01

0.9-2,1

TABLE |0.6

HOUSEHOLDS ON OR ABOVE THE POVERTY DATUM LINE

AS PERCENTAGE OF ALL EUROPEAN HOUSEHOLDS

•

AREA

PERCENTAGE IN EACH AREA THOUSANDS IN EACH AREA

P L L CL P LL CL

Western J00 96- 100 95-100 8.7 8.6-8.7 8.6-8.7

Central 97 93-100 92-100 2 .2 2 .0- 2.2 2 .0-2.2

Eastern 89 84-94 83-95 6.1 5 .8-6.5 5.7-6.6

Southern 95 93-97 92-98 12.1 U . 8-12.4 1 1.7-12.5

M m ic ip . 95

--------------------93-97 93-97 29.0 28.5- 29.5 28.4-29.6

SOCIO-ECONOMIC DISTRIBUTION OF EUROPEAN MANUAL WORKERS’ HOUSEHOLDS

CLASSPERCENT. IN EACH CLASS THOUSANDS IN EACH CLASS

P LL c l P LL CL

d e s t i t u t i o n 1 0 - 2 0 - 2 0 . 2 0 . 0 - 0 .3 0 . 0 - 0 . 4

a c u t e p o v e r t y 2 0 - 4 0 - 4 0 . 2 0 . 0 - 0 . 5 0 . 0 - 0 .5

i n e e d 9 6 - 1 2 5 - 13 l . l 0 . 7 - 1 . 5 0 . 6-1 .6

n o t i n n e e d 88 8 4 - 9 2 8 4 - 9 2 10.8 9 . 9 - 1 1.7 9 . 8 - 1 1 .8

t o t a l 100 100 100 12 .3 1 1 . 2 - 1 3 . 4 1 0 . 9 - 1 3 . 7

Adopting the appropriation described above, we may further

calculate that a l l the private European households in the Municipalitry,

■whether of the Ilanual Workers’ Class or the Business and Professional

Class, were distributed as follows:

t a b l e |0 ,8

SOCIO-ECONOMIC DISTRIBUTION OF ALL EUROPEAN HOUSEHOLDS

CLASSPER 3ENT. IN EACH CLASS THOUSANDS IN EACH CLASS

p LL CL P LL CL

d e s t i t u t i o n I 0 - 2 0 0 . 2 0 *0—0 . 3 0 . 0 - 0 . 4

a c u t e p o v e r t y 1 0..2 0 - 2 0 . 2 0 , 0 - 0 , 5 0 . 0- 0 . 5

n e e d 4 2 - 6 2 - 6 1.1 0 . 7 - 1 . 5 0 . 6- 1 .6

n o t i n n e e d 9 5 9 3 - 9 7 9 3 - 9 7 2 9 . 0 2 8 . 6 - 2 9 . 5 2 8 . 4 - 3 0 . 0

t o t a l 100 100 |00 3 0 . 5 3 0 . 5 3 0 . 5

THE WARD SYSTEM OF CAPE TOWN

The main lines of the present Ward system of Cape Town were drawn in Provincial Proclamation No. 218 of 1914. The fourteen Wards into ■which the newly "unified" Municipality was then divided were composed as follows

(a) Wards 2 and 3, part of Ward 4, and Wards 5, 6, and 7, coveringthe area of old Cape Town;

(b) Wards 1, 8, 9, 10, and 11, and parts of Wards 12, 13, and 14,equivalent to the old Munioipalities of Green and Sea Point, Woodstock, Mowbray, Maitland, Rondebosch, Claremont, and

Kail; Bay;

(c) Certain send-rural "Additional Areas" until 1913 not includedwithin the boiindaries of aaiy municipality, and added in 1914

to the more urban portions of Wards 4, 12, 13, and 14- A similar Additional Area was annexed to the municipality of Wyribcrg.

Since 1914 three further groups of areas have been added to the Muni- cipality and allocated to various Wards: -

(d) The municipality of Wynberg, with its Additional Area, which

became Ward 15;

(e) Uninhabited catchment areas on Table Mountain added to Wards

4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 15;

(f) The native location Langa, added to Ward 12.

The present Ward' system thus comprises

WARD I ( s e a p o i n t w a r d ) : the seaward slopes of Signal Hill and Lion's Head = the old municipality of g r e e n and sea p o i n t .

WARDS 2 ( h a r b o u r w a r d ) , 3 ( w e s t c e n t r a l w a r d ) , 4 ( k l o o f w a r d ) ,5 ( p a r k w a r d ) , 6 ( e a s t c e n t r a l w a r d ) , and 7 ( c a s t l e w a r o ) : six irregular sectors of the anphitheatro formed by Signal Hill, Table Mountain, and Devil's Pealc, with an extension westward round Signal Hill to include Green Point Common = the old municipality of cape t o w n ; with extensions over Kloof Nek to Camps Bay (Ward 4) and on Table Mountain and

Devil's Peak.

WARDS 8 ( w o o d s t o c k ) , 9 ( s a l t r i v e r ) , and |0 ( m o w b r a y ) , three

sectors centred on Devil's peak, together = the old municipalities of w o o d s t o c k and m o w b ra y .

WARD II ( m a i t l a n d ) , an extension of the Municipality beyond Salt River along the shores of Table Bay = the old muni­

cipality of MAITLAND.

WARDS 12 ( r o n d e b o s c h ) and 13 ( c l a r e m o n t ) , continuing from Mowbray

the chain of suburbs extending southward to False Bay = the old municipalities of r o n d e b o s c h and c l a r e m o n t with their

common "boundary adjusted; with semi-rural Additional Areas

added to each Ward and Langa Native Location added to Ward 12.

WARD J.4 (kalk b a y ) j the extreme link in the southward chain, on

the shores of False Bay = the old municipality of h a l k b a y ; with a semi-rural Additional Area to the north.

WARD 15 ('.vynbsrg) ̂ for fourteen years the "missing link" in the

chain, to the south of Claremont, = the old municipality of wynberg ; with a semi-rural Additional Area completing the link with ward 14.

In the accompanying map, the Additional Areas forming part of

Wards 12, 13, 14, and 15, arc narked 13A, 14A, and 15A; the area containing Langa, which forms part of Ward 12, is marked Lj the original municipal portions of Wards 12, 13 , 14, and 15, are marked 12m, 13m, 14M, and 15M; and part of the uninhabited catchment area on Table Hountain is marked tm. Tne Additional Area annxed in 1914 to Ward 4 (= Camps Bay) is never distinguished for local statistical purposes from the rest of the Ward and is not separated on the map.

W THE NATURE .4ND ACCURACY OF THE 3ALIPLE

The Sample, which in the body of the Report lias been described

as random, was random within streets and estates but stratified as between streets and estates. Such a stratified sample is even more representative than a purely random sample, and the "likely" and "cautious" limits given in the texts and tables are therefore even more likely

and cautious than has been claimed.

It is not practicable to calculate by formula hew much more accurate than a purely random sample this particular stratified sample has proved

to be. But such indications as that referred to in Appendix 3 of Report No. SS 5 suggest that the additional accuracy is considerable, and en­courage us to work with considerable confidence from the "likely limits" in cases where, with a purely random sample, we should be inclined to

prefer the "cautious limits".

In certain tables, the EM statistics alone have been used. This is legitimate for the purposes which these tables are intended to serve, if not universally legitimate. But the added accuracy due to the stratifi­

cation of the sample naturally makes the IN figures themselves a safer guide than they would be if derived from a purely random sample.

APPENDIX C

It is hardly possible to make individual acknowledgment to the

many workers and counsellors who have provided the material for the present Report. I wish, however, to thank collectively the two thou­sand Cape Town householders whose friendly interest and co-operation alone made the house-to-house inquiry possible, the local and Union government • of ficial.s who gave freely of their time and knowledge, and the staff of investigators and computers. In particular I wish to express the thanks of the Survey to Mr, J. Bam, of the Cape Town Valuation Records Eranoh, to fir. H. Sloan, Electoral Officer, Cape Town, to Mr. J.C.Ceilings, of the Town Planning Department, Cape Tovm, and to Mr. P. James, of the same Department, for generous assistance and expert advice; to Mrs. E. Bailey, Mrs. R. Hooper, Mrs. D. Raymer, and Mrs. E. Shackleton, for their valuable services in the field and the laboratory;

and to Dr. Herbert Tout, of the University of Bristol, for technical communications. We were much indebted in tho early stages of the Survey to the late Mr. Goodall, of the Venation Records Branch.

wife, Helen, has shared and encouraged all the work of the Survey.

I should not kno?/ how to express thanks for this.Edward Batson.

EB 2504-41/174

UNIVERSITY OF QAPE TOWN DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SCIENCE

REPORTS AND STUDIES OF THE SOCIAL SURVEY OF CAPE TOWN

PUBLISHED MAY 1941

SS I THE GROWTH OF THE POPULATION OF GREATER CAPE TOWN

SS 2 THE ETHNIC D IS T R IB U T IO N OF THE POPULATION OF GREATER CAPE TOWN

SS 3 THE SURVEY POVERTY DATUM L I NE

SS 4 THE D IS T R IB U T IO N OF POVERTY AMONG COLOURED HOUSEHOLDS IN CAPE TOWN

SS 5 THE D I S T R I B U T I O N OF EUROPEAN HOUSEHOLDS IN CAPE TOWN

SS 6 THE OCCUPATIONAL CLASS OF EUROPEAN MALE VOTERS IN CAPE TOWN

FOR PUBLICATION 1942

SS 7 THE FUTURE POPULATION GROWTH OF GREATER CAPE TOWN

SS 3 A SOCIO-ECONOMIC C L A S S IF I C A T IO N OF OCCUPATIONS IN CAPE TOWN

SS 9 A BR IEF DESCRIPTION OF THE METHODS EMPLOYED IN THE HOUSEHOLD SAMPLE IN VESTI GA TI ON

SS 10 THE D IS TR IB U T IO N OF POVERTY AMONG EUROPEAN HOUSEHOLDS IN CAPE TOWN

S3 II EUROPEAN HOUSING IN CAPE TOWN: AVERAGE OCCUPANCY

SS 12 COLOURED HOUSING IN CAPE TOWN: AVERAGE OCCUPANCY

EACH REPORT CONSISTS OF FROM TEN TO THIRTY CYCLOSTYLED FOOLSCAP PAGES OFTABLES AND EXPLANATORY TEXT, AND IS SOLD AT THE PRICE OF ONE S H I L L I N G .ALL REPORTS IN THE SE R IE S ARE OF A PRELIMINARY NATURE AND SUBJECT TO F I NAL A U D IT .

IH 1 2 1 2 - 4 I / 6 0 8 D

Collection Number: AD1715

SOUTH AFRICAN INSTITUTE OF RACE RELATIONS (SAIRR), 1892-1974

PUBLISHER: Collection Funder:- Atlantic Philanthropies Foundation

Publisher:- Historical Papers Research Archive

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