The KwaZulu-Natal Perception Survey is a province-wide community data initiative by CityMenderSA, created to understand how residents across KZN perceive the state of service delivery, infrastructure, safety, and environmental management in their areas.
From Durban’s bustling city centre to the coastal towns of the North Coast, and the rural landscapes of the Midlands, this survey gives every KZN resident an opportunity to share their lived experience, helping shape a province that works better for everyone.
Purpose and Vision
The aim of the survey is to bridge the gap between residents, communities, and local government through transparent, data-driven insights. By collecting ground-level feedback, CityMenderSA identifies what’s working, what isn’t, and where collective action is most needed.
The survey explores key focus areas:
-
🚰 Service Delivery — reliability of water, electricity, waste collection, and road maintenance.
-
🛡️ Safety and Law Enforcement — visibility, responsiveness, and public confidence in local structures.
-
🌳 Environment and Urban Management — public space upkeep, illegal dumping, and sustainable practices.
-
🧱 Infrastructure and Development — transport, housing, and urban expansion.
-
❤️ Community Wellbeing and Inclusion — accessibility, youth involvement, and civic participation.
To ensure accessibility for all residents, the survey is available in English, isiZulu, and Afrikaans, making it inclusive across the province’s diverse communities.
Data Integration and Impact
All responses are analysed through CityMenderSA’s advanced analytics platform, transforming raw community feedback into meaningful, visualised data.
Residents and stakeholders will soon be able to explore the results through an interactive online dashboard featuring:
-
Real-time graphs, heatmaps, and perception scores.
-
Regional comparisons across municipalities and service categories.
-
Downloadable datasets and summary reports for transparency and advocacy.
📅 The KZN Analytics Dashboard will go live publicly on 11 November 2025, giving everyone open access to the data set, graphs, and insights, a first for a province-wide community perception study of this kind.
Empowering Community Organisations
This initiative is not just about collecting opinions; it’s about empowering action.
Local ratepayer groups, NGOs, youth organisations, and development forums can use the data to:
-
Support constructive engagement with municipalities and service providers.
-
Identify priority intervention zones for safety, environmental, or infrastructure projects.
-
Strengthen funding proposals and community plans with credible, locally-sourced data.
-
Track improvements or declines in key service areas over time.
By turning citizen feedback into practical information, the KwaZulu-Natal Perception Survey helps community organisations and local authorities work together, building accountability, trust, and sustainable progress.
Shaping the Future of KwaZulu-Natal
The KwaZulu-Natal Perception Survey is a milestone in transparent civic data and collaboration. Every submission helps create a clearer, shared understanding of the province we live in, and the one we’re working to improve.
Together, through technology, data, and community voice, we can build a smarter, safer, and more resilient KwaZulu-Natal.