If there’s one thing South Africans are adept at doing, it’s adapting. The ability to weather waves of political, social, economic, and personal change is woven into our national DNA.

From the end of apartheid to the dawn of democracy, from dial-up to digital, from Mxit to ChatGPT, we’ve learned to handle change as and when it comes.

And yes, we've even learned to love it.

But what does change look like now, in some of the most significant areas of our daily lives? Let's comb through the data to get a clear picture of shifting and emerging trends.

Tying the Knot:
For better or for worse, fewer and fewer people are choosing to say “I do” in South Africa.

Civil marriage registrations have dropped by over 30% in the last decade, and the idea of when or whether to settle down is evolving.

In 2023, just over 105 000 South Africans tied the knot, a far cry from years past.

The median age for tying the knot is also on the rise. In 2014, the typical groom was 35 years old, while the typical bride was 31.

Fast forward to 2023, and those figures have climbed to 38 and 34, respectively.

Source: Stats SA

Getting a degree:

The number of university graduates in South Africa has remained fairly stable over the last decade, hovering around 220 000 to 235 000 graduates per year between 2018 and 2023.

What’s changing is where these qualifications come from. Private colleges are growing steadily, while the output of public universities has reached a plateau.

At the population level, the number of South African adults holding formal post-school qualifications continues to grow.

In 2023, 7.3% of adults aged 25 to 64 held a degree, up from 6% in 2015. Diploma holders rose to 6.0%, up from 5.9% in the same period.

Still, challenges remain. Only 17% of students at universities complete their qualifications on time, and the PhD completion rate is even lower at 14.5%.

Source: Department of Higher Education and Training

Starting a family:

Starting a family is a life-changing experience, and in South Africa, it’s happening in ways that equally reflect the shifts in our society.

Let’s start with the numbers. More than 1.2 million babies were born in 2024, keeping pace with previous years. That works out to nearly 2 000 babies born every single day.

But while the number of births remains steady, the timing of those births is shifting. Twenty years ago, the average age of first-time mothers was just over 20. Today, it’s close to 28.

South Africans are still having children, just not as early — or perhaps not as hurriedly — as they did before. In a society where everything from jobs to housing is in flux, that makes sense.

It’s not that South Africans are giving up on family life. We’re just learning to navigate it on our own terms.

Source: Stats SA

Getting a job:

If you want to understand the pulse of a country, look at who’s working, and how.

In South Africa, the labour market is evolving, not just in numbers, but in the way people build careers, earn a living, and survive in an uncertain economy.

Around 16.3 million people are working in South Africa today. That’s more than in previous years, but it’s not nearly enough.

With over 7.8 million people unemployed, the overall jobless rate hovers around 32%, and it’s even higher for the youth.

Meanwhile, older South Africans are leading the workforce, with those aged 45 to 54 being the most actively employed group. That’s a generational shift worth watching.

But it’s not all bleak. Formal employment, especially in areas like trade, finance, and community services, has grown steadily, adding over 12 000 new jobs in 2024.

We’re also seeing a rise in what is known as polyworking — holding multiple jobs, freelancing, or shifting between formal and informal gigs. The gig economy is alive, but it’s not always secure.

So yes, South Africans are still hard at work, but the way we work is shifting and reshaping.

Source: Stats SA and Department of Higher Education and Training

Putting down roots:

Owning a home sweet home has long been part of the South African dream. But that dream, too, is evolving.

In 2024, just over 32 000 new residential building plans were approved. That’s down nearly 12% from the previous year.

It’s not just planning that’s slowing. Completed units fell by around 23%, with just over 22 000 homes finished.

While the move towards formal housing is on the rise, fewer people seem to be building or buying newly constructed homes.

This suggests a growing caution about committing to big financial moves amid economic uncertainty.

Homeownership rates provide us with more insight. After reaching a peak of nearly 70%, the rate has dropped to just over 60%, suggesting that modern South Africans may be favouring long-term rentals, shared living spaces, or simply delaying purchases.

What does this mean? It tells a story of a society that values security, but also craves flexibility. Our relationship with housing is adapting, just like everything else.

Sources: Global Property Guide and Housing Finance Africa Report

In short, we’re still a country in flux, a country in motion. The milestones may be shifting, the timelines more fluid, but change remains a constant companion.

That’s the real takeaway. We can't avoid change. Instead, we need to learn to navigate through it, with curiosity, courage, and care!