Nigeria/South Africa: How different are we? Part B

South Africa is more fortunate as we have at least 46% of our population aged 20-49, in the prime of their lives and hopefully able to pave a solid economic foundation for the youth as they grow up.  Only 39% of Nigeria’s population is 20-49. Literacy amongst adults, aged 15+, in South Africa is measured at 94% vs 60% in Nigeria.

Moving onto industry research data, which is common to both regions, being the All Media & Products Survey, we’re able to get a better understanding of the 15+ Adult markets. Nigeria has a slightly more male adult population at 51% vs South Africa at 48%.

In South Africa the top four home languages are Zulu 23%, Xhosa 15%, Afrikaans 14% and English at only 11%. In Nigeria, Hausa ranks top at 28% followed by English at 20%, Yoruba at 19% and Igbo at 12%.

52% of South Africans live in urban areas and 47% live in small urban and rural areas. Nigeria is virtually the opposite, with 54% living in semi-urban and rural areas and 46% living in urban areas.

In South Africa, the four biggest provinces, in terms of concentration of people, are Gauteng with 26% of adults living there, followed by Kwazulu-Natal at 19% and the Eastern and Western Cape both with 12%. In Nigeria, Lagos has 8% of the adult population living there, followed by Kano at 6% and Katsina, Kaduna and Oyo each with 4%

28% of the adult population in South Africa work full time, 30% are unemployed and 15% are students. Nigeria has a significantly higher proportion of students at 33%, less people working full time at 18% and far less who say they are unemployed, at only 4%.

In South Africa the average household monthly income is R12 013 and in Nigeria its ₦165 016 which equates to R12 828 – not that much different.

The average age of South Africa’s adult population is 38 whereas Nigeria’s adult population is significantly younger – as we saw earlier – at only 30. Surprisingly, even with this younger average age, a higher proportion of Nigerians are married or living together at 45% vs South African’s at only 35%.

In a nutshell, Nigerian’s are younger, have significantly more people living in a smaller space, have a similar household income to South African’s.

Although the official exchange rate in ₦199 to the US$ the unofficial rate, which reflects market realities due to the collapse in the price of oil, is as high as ₦375, so international travel is getting far harder for Nigerians.

Nigeria is more culturally diverse and significantly more economically industrious, with low levels of unemployment.

 

- Sources: Worldometers, SA & Nigerian AMPS 2015, NPC, Statssa, Unesco, Exchange rates as at 25 March 2016. This piece was originally written by Karen Phelan.