Stats SA has firmly rejected a private fibre operators claim that South Africas population could be far higher than official figures, saying novel techniques cannot replace transparency and replicable statistical methods.
Stats SA has noted Fibertimes public claim regarding a population estimate above 95-million however, the official population estimate as of mid-2025 is 63.01-million, Solly Molayi, acting director-general, population and social statistics, told Business Day.
While innovative technologies such as aerial imaging or AI-based extrapolations may offer supplementary insights, they cannot replace transparent, independently replicable scientific methods required for the production of official estimates.
