19th International CODATA Conference
Category: Economic Development
Towards the Establishment of a National Poverty Data Center: The Case of the
National Development Agency (NDA), South Africa
Lulama Makhubela
CODATA Working Group Member on Preservation and Archiving of S&T Data in
Developing Countries, South Africa
Poverty is a multi-facet phenomenon. The complexity of the concept poverty is
exacerbated by the fact that various poverty commentators define poverty differently.
Some definitions of the concept poverty are methodological whereas some are
punitive. Both politicians and development practitioners as main actors in poverty-related
matters seem to have different and sometimes competing views on how to address
the effects of the concept poverty. In South Africa, as a result of lack of a well-developed
and co-ordinated national poverty data center, poverty
eradication efforts by various structures and role players are seriously compromised.
There is no single point of accountability on available data on poverty issues.
Different existing sources seem to have different data and information regarding
poverty levels in the country. This paper proposes the need for the establishment
of a poverty data center by the National Development Agency (NDA) that can serve
as an entry point into poverty data in South Africa. The paper further explains how the
proposed center can serve as a single point for poverty secondary data analysis
and a gateway for scholars both nationally and internationally.