The South African religious landscape is diverse and has a profound effect on the role that faith communities may and should play within this context. The General Household Survey (2013), conducted by StatsSA, gave, for the first time since the census of 2001, a picture of the South African religious profile. The aim is to use religious affiliation and adherence as indicators to plot this landscape. These indicators provide a framework to define and explore the role of the church and faith communities in the South African society. How should secularisation, evangelism, social engagement and the prophetic voice of the church be viewed within this context? The aim of this article is to explore these and other questions within the 2013 General Household Survey as a demographical framework to describe a South African reality for faith communities.
The South African religious landscape is diverse and has a profound effect on the role that faith communities and its members may and should play within this context. The General Household Survey (GHS), conducted in 2013 by Statistics South Africa (StatsSA), gave, for the first time since the census of 2001, a picture of the South African religious profile. The aim of this article is to use religious affiliation and adherence as indicators to plot the South African religious landscape. These indicators, affiliation and adherence, provide a framework to define and explore the role of churches and faith communities in the South African society. This may help to plot aspects such as secularisation, evangelism, social engagement and the prophetic voice of the church and faith communities within the South African context.
The South African religious demography may also be placed within a broader framework as part of the demographic movement of Christianity towards the South and as these churches grow, they will define their own ways that differ from the preferences from the North (Jenkins
What most strikingly unites the otherwise diverse Southern churches is that in most cases, Christianity as a mass popular movement is a relatively new creation, so that first- and second-generation converts are well represented in the various congregations. (Jenkins
The challenge is to describe and analyse these developments sociologically but also theologically. Southern Christianity is not a transplant of the older or Northern version, it is a new and developing entity (Jenkins
The article will start with a brief reference to the religious demographic picture of South Africa since 1911 and then place the emphasis on the GHS survey of 2013 and its implications for Christian churches and faith communities. Surveys contribute to the bigger picture and help in defining the context and environment for churches and congregations (see Hermans & Schoeman
The study demography assists, from a quantitative perspective, to describe the characteristics, composition and changes within a population (Holdsworth et al.
The first national census was undertaken in 1911 and included a question regarding religious affiliation. Hendriks (
Christians in South Africa 1911.
Year | % of population |
---|---|
1911 | 45.7 |
1921 | 51.3 |
1936 | 60.8 |
1946 | 63.2 |
1951 | 68.0 |
1960 | 73.4 |
1970 | 75.4 |
1980 | 77.0 |
1991 | 74.5 |
1996 | 74.1 |
The 2001 census questionnaire used the 1996 one as a basis, but the question about religion was not optional anymore and this improved the credibility of the results (Erasmus & Hendriks
Census 2001.
Denomination | Total | % |
|
---|---|---|---|
Christian | Total | ||
Reformed | 3 232 194 | 9.04 | 7.21 |
Anglican | 1 722 076 | 4.82 | 3.84 |
Methodist | 3 305 404 | 9.24 | 7.37 |
Lutheran | 1 130 986 | 3.16 | 2.52 |
Presbyterian, Baptist | 1 687 668 | 4.72 | 3.77 |
Roman Catholic | 3 181 336 | 8.90 | 7.10 |
Pentecostal, Charismatic | 2 625 830 | 7.34 | 5.86 |
Africa independent | 14 598 922 | 40.82 | 32.57 |
Other Christian | 4 275 942 | 11.96 | 9.54 |
Total Christian | 35 760 358 | 100.00 | 79.79 |
Jew | 75 555 | - | 0.17 |
Hindu | 551 669 | - | 1.23 |
Muslim | 654 064 | - | 1.46 |
Eastern faith | 7395 | - | 0.02 |
Other faith | 417 864 | - | 0.93 |
Total other religions | 1 706 547 | - | 3.81 |
No religion, refused or not specified |
7 352 875 |
- |
16.41 |
The 2011 national state census did not include religion as a question and it is therefore difficult to give a description of the changes that have taken place in the South African religious population since 2001. The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life published a comprehensive report in April 2010 on
Nominal membership or affiliation is one aspect of religious participation, but religion could also be described in terms of participation and adherence. WIN-Gallup International published a world report on religiosity in 2012, and respondents were asked to answer the following question: ‘Irrespective of whether you attend a place of worship or not, would you say you are a religious person, not a religious person, or a convinced atheist?’ This report states that religiosity declined in South Africa from 83% in 2005 to 64% in 2012 (Shahid & Zuettel
Seventy-four per cent (74%) of the South African population indicates that religion plays an important role in their lives (Lugo & Cooperman
Sixty per cent (60%) of South African Christians attend worship services on a weekly basis (Lugo & Cooperman
Within the South African population, 89% is being raised in the Christian tradition, but only 87% indicated in 2010 that they were Christians. This is a decline of 2% (Lugo & Cooperman
Since 2002 StatsSA has been conducting an annual household survey. These surveys cover all private households in the nine provinces of South Africa, and residents in workers’ hostels. The surveys do not cover other collective living quarters such as students’ hostels, old age homes, hospitals, prisons and military barracks, and are, therefore, only representative of non-institutionalised and non-military persons and households in South Africa (Statistics South Africa
How would you describe your religious affiliation?
Aside from weddings and funerals, how often do you attend religious services?
General Household Survey 2013 religious affiliation.
Religion | % | |
---|---|---|
Christian | 44 602 155 | 84.2 |
Muslim | 1 042 043 | 2.0 |
Ancestral, tribal, animist or other traditional African religions | 2 626 015 | 5.0 |
Hindu | 529 471 | 1.0 |
Buddhist and Bahai | 16 992 | 0.0 |
Jewish | 101 544 | 0.2 |
Atheist and agnostic | 112 972 | 0.2 |
Something else | 48 084 | 0.1 |
Nothing in particular | 2 916 049 | 5.5 |
Refused and Do not know | 154 569 | 0.3 |
Unspecified |
832 097 |
1.6 |
General Household Survey 2013 religious affiliation by province.
Religion | WC | EC | NC | FS | KZ | NW | GA | MP | LI | SA |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Christian | 87.8 | 85.6 | 97.9 | 95.5 | 76.2 | 93.9 | 82.6 | 90.7 | 77.8 | 84.2 |
Muslim | 7.3 | 0.4 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 2.6 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 2.0 |
Ancestral, tribal, animist or other traditional African religions | 1.2 | 5.9 | 0.1 | 2.0 | 11.3 | 1.4 | 3.2 | 4.6 | 5.0 | 5.0 |
Hindu | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3.9 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 1.0 |
Buddhist and Bahai | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Jewish | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.2 |
Atheist and agnostic | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.2 |
Something else | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 |
Nothing in particular | 1.6 | 7.0 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 3.8 | 3.0 | 7.2 | 2.0 | 15.0 | 5.5 |
Refused and Do not know | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.3 |
Unspecified |
0.8 |
0.7 |
0.3 |
1.4 |
1.8 |
0.6 |
2.9 |
0.9 |
1.3 |
1.6 |
WC, Western Cape; EC, Eastern Cape; NC, Northern Cape; FS, Free State; KZN, KwaZulu-Natal; GA, Gauteng; MP, Mpumalanga; LI, Limpopo; SA, South Africa.
Values are given as a percentage.
The religious affiliation and age within the four race groups is reported in
General Household Survey 2013 religious affiliation and age of African people.
Religion | Age in years |
||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
0–14 | 15–24 | 25–34 | 35–59 | 60–74 | 75+ | Total | |
Christian | 30.9 | 20.4 | 17.7 | 24.7 | 5.2 | 1.2 | 100.0 |
Muslim | 20.7 | 14.4 | 37.0 | 26.8 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 100.0 |
Ancestral, tribal, animist or other traditional African religions | 30.4 | 19.1 | 18.0 | 24.9 | 5.8 | 1.8 | 100.0 |
Hindu | 9.1 | 11.3 | 12.4 | 44.8 | 22.4 | 0.0 | 100.0 |
Buddhist and Bahai | 47.7 | 0.0 | 11.3 | 17.9 | 0.0 | 23.1 | 100.0 |
Jewish | 38.5 | 22.5 | 15.9 | 18.0 | 3.3 | 1.8 | 100.0 |
Atheist and agnostic | 9.4 | 12.3 | 23.5 | 47.7 | 6.3 | 0.7 | 100.0 |
Something else | 13.1 | 8.7 | 36.4 | 40.2 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 100.0 |
Nothing in particular | 18.6 | 21.8 | 23.7 | 29.3 | 5.2 | 1.4 | 100.0 |
Refused and Do not know | 13.9 | 16.5 | 29.7 | 35.0 | 2.8 | 2.0 | 100.0 |
Republic of South Africa | 30.9 | 20.1 | 18.0 | 24.7 | 5.2 | 1.2 | 100.0 |
Values are given as a percentage.
General Household Survey 2013 religious affiliation and age of coloured people.
Religion | Age in years |
||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
0–14 | 15–24 | 25–34 | 35–59 | 60–74 | 75+ | Total | |
Christian | 26.3 | 18.4 | 15.8 | 31.6 | 6.4 | 1.5 | 100.0 |
Muslim | 31.0 | 18.1 | 15.4 | 28.9 | 5.5 | 1.2 | 100.0 |
Ancestral, tribal, animist or other traditional African religions | 17.8 | 0.0 | 37.2 | 45.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 100.0 |
Hindu | 62.1 | 37.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 100.0 |
Buddhist and Bahai | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Jewish | 31.0 | 69.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 100.0 |
Atheist and agnostic | 20.0 | 42.6 | 0.0 | 29.5 | 7.9 | 0.0 | 100.0 |
Something else | 41.0 | 11.2 | 13.7 | 24.7 | 9.4 | 0.0 | 100.0 |
Nothing in particular | 27.3 | 14.4 | 19.5 | 31.4 | 7.0 | 0.4 | 100.0 |
Refused and Do not know | 28.2 | 22.2 | 0.0 | 46.2 | 0.0 | 3.5 | 100.0 |
RSA | 27.3 | 18.2 | 15.7 | 31.1 | 6.3 | 1.4 | 100.0 |
Values are given as a percentage.
General Household Survey 2013 Religious affiliation and age of Indian and Asian people.
Religion | Age in years |
||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
0–14 | 15–24 | 25–34 | 35–59 | 60–74 | 75+ | Total | |
Christian | 20.4 | 17.2 | 21.0 | 33.4 | 7.3 | 0.6 | 100.0 |
Muslim | 24.4 | 14.8 | 18.0 | 31.3 | 9.3 | 2.1 | 100.0 |
Ancestral, tribal, animist or other traditional African religions | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 100.0 |
Hindu | 15.8 | 17.6 | 17.1 | 37.0 | 9.5 | 3.0 | 100.0 |
Buddhist and Bahai | 51.9 | 18.4 | 4.3 | 25.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 100.0 |
Jewish | 0.0 | 0.0 | 100.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 100.0 |
Atheist and agnostic | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 100.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 100.0 |
Something else | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 100.0 | 0.0 | 100.0 |
Nothing in particular | 34.5 | 4.8 | 18.4 | 27.5 | 14.8 | 0.0 | 100.0 |
Refused and Do not know | 44.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 55.6 | 0.0 | 100.0 |
RSA | 21.6 | 16.0 | 18.0 | 33.4 | 9.0 | 2.0 | 100.0 |
Values are given as a percentage.
General Household Survey 2013 Religious affiliation and age of white people.
Religion | Age in years |
||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
0–14 | 15–24 | 25–34 | 35–59 | 60–74 | 75+ | Total | |
Christian | 17.2 | 13.6 | 12.6 | 35.7 | 15.8 | 5.0 | 100.0 |
Muslim | 11.9 | 21.7 | 6.1 | 41.5 | 18.8 | 0.0 | 100.0 |
Ancestral, tribal, animist or other traditional African religions | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 100.0 |
Hindu | 39.0 | 4.7 | 34.3 | 22.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 100.0 |
Buddhist and Bahai | 0.0 | 25.0 | 0.0 | 70.1 | 4.9 | 0.0 | 100.0 |
Jewish | 14.8 | 12.8 | 9.3 | 30.9 | 27.3 | 4.8 | 100.0 |
Atheist and agnostic | 2.2 | 13.4 | 26.6 | 35.1 | 19.2 | 3.4 | 100.0 |
Something else | 29.8 | 20.2 | 9.4 | 24.4 | 6.6 | 9.6 | 100.0 |
Nothing in particular | 16.4 | 16.0 | 13.6 | 39.2 | 11.0 | 3.8 | 100.0 |
Refused and Do not know | 9.8 | 24.5 | 6.7 | 49.6 | 9.4 | 0.0 | 100.0 |
RSA | 17.8 | 13.6 | 12.5 | 35.5 | 15.6 | 4.9 | 100.0 |
Values are given as a percentage.
The different patterns in terms of religious observance give a description of the commitment of the membership of the different religious groups (
General Household Survey 2013 Religious observance.
Aside from weddings and funerals, how often does … attend religious services? | Usually at least once per week | Usually at least once or twice per month | Usually a few times a year | Seldom | Never | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Christian | 56.4 | 21.5 | 9.0 | 7.5 | 5.6 | 100.0 |
Muslim | 74.3 | 10.1 | 4.1 | 5.1 | 6.3 | 99.9 |
Hindu | 55.0 | 29.8 | 4.8 | 8.2 | 2.2 | 100.0 |
Ancestral, tribal, animist or other traditional African religions | 28.2 | 15.5 | 17.0 | 20.7 | 18.6 | 100.0 |
Values are given as a percentage.
General Household Survey 2013 religious observance of Christians per gender.
Observance - Christian | Male | Female |
---|---|---|
Usually at least once a week | 50.7 | 61.4 |
Usually once or twice a month | 20.9 | 21.9 |
Usually a few times a year | 10.5 | 7.7 |
Seldom | 9.8 | 5.5 |
Never |
8.1 |
3.5 |
Values are given as a percentage.
General Household Survey 2013 religious observance of Christians per population group.
Observance - Christian | Population group |
|||
---|---|---|---|---|
Black | Coloured | Indian or Asian | White | |
Usually at least once a week | 58.5 | 45.0 | 70.0 | 48.7 |
Usually once or twice a month | 20.5 | 25.4 | 25.8 | 25.3 |
Usually a few times a year | 8.8 | 11.6 | 1.1 | 8.9 |
Seldom | 6.8 | 11.9 | 1.4 | 9.2 |
Never |
5.3 |
6.1 |
1.8 |
7.9 |
Values are given as a percentage.
The 2013 GHS data on religious affiliation and observance help to present a more recent and reliable picture of the South African landscape. In surveys of this nature, there is a consistent overreporting on issues like the frequency of worship attendance and voting in elections. There is a tendency to provide answers that the respondents feel are socially acceptable or politically correct (Rule & Mncwango
From the 2001 census, the GHS 2013 and other surveys an increase in the adherence to the Christian religion has been reported: ‘[
Trust plays an important role in a democratic society, as it consolidates the society and its institutions. Do the citizens believe in or trust the institutions that serve them? (Rule & Langa
The following findings from the second SASA report about the beliefs and practices of Christians may serve as an illustration of the position of this belief system:
Their beliefs about God: Seventy-four per cent (74%) believe that God exists and they have no doubts about it (Rule & Mncwango South Africa emerges as strongest in its popular belief in God, even more than a decade after the same statements were put to nationally representative samples in 16 other countries, namely in Europe, but including the relatively religious Philippines, Poland, United States, Northern Ireland and Ireland. (Rule & Mncwango
The prayer of Christians: About 6 out of 10 (63%) of the respondents reported that they prayed once or several times a day (Rule & Mncwango
Honesty in dealing with the state: Two questions were asked, one about tax compliance and the other on honesty regarding accessing a government social grant. Only 49% indicated that it was seriously wrong if taxpayers did not report all their income in order to pay tax, while 58% reported that it was seriously wrong to submit incorrect information in order to qualify for a social grant:
It emerges that many South Africans have a flexible attitude towards their tax obligations on the one hand, and the extent to which they can access cash benefits from the state on the other. (Rule & Mncwango
In conclusion, the second SASA report stated that Christians held strong orthodox views in relation to the Christian doctrine, claiming to believe in God (74%) and in the Bible as the literal word of God (64%); ‘Jesus is the solution to all the world’s problems’ (76%) (Rule & Mncwango
These concluding remarks are made from the position or perspective of the Christian churches and their membership within the South African society. The
Is South Africa a Christian or secularised country, or what is the position of religion within the South African society? The vast majority of South Africans is linked to the Christian faith, but it is not an easy answer to describe its position in terms of secularisation. Although there is a spectrum of understanding of the concept (see Paas
Secularisation is a process of change by which the sacred gives way to the secular, whether in matters of personal faith, institutional practice, or social power. It involves a transition in which things once revered become ordinary, the sanctified becomes mundane, and things other-worldly may lose their prefix. Whereas ‘secularity’ refers to a condition of sacredlessness, and ‘secularism’ is the ideology devoted to such a state, secularisation is a historical dynamic that may occur gradually or suddenly and is sometimes temporary and occasionally. (Demerath
Secularisation refers to a process of religious change. It is not only a linear process but refers also to a change in influence which implies that the Church and Christians should reposition and redefine themselves within the current South African context. This needs to be developed further in terms of a theological and sociological understanding and theory.
Given the present and future distribution of Christians worldwide, a case can be made that understanding the religion in its non-Western context is a prime necessity for anyone seeking to understand the emerging world. (Jenkins
This would mean, from a South African perspective, that the post-apartheid and post-colonial position of religion within the current South African context should be taken seriously. The 2013 GHS data on religious affiliation and adherence provide important religious demographic markers to describe and redefine the position and role of religion within the South African context.
The author declares that he has no financial or personal relationships which may have inappropriately influenced him in writing this article.