This paper documents the construction of a South African Social Accounting Matrix
(SAM) for the year 2012. The SAM is built using a Statistics South Africa Supply Table and Use
Table, National Accounts, and various household and labour market surveys. It provides a
detailed representation of the South African economy and identifies 62 activities and 104
commodities; labour is disaggregated by education attainment level; and households by per capita
expenditure deciles. Information on labour is drawn from the 2012 Labour Market Dynamics
Survey of the Quarterly Labour Force Survey. Data on households is taken from the 2008/9
Living Conditions Survey. The SAM identifies government, investment, and foreign accounts. It
is a useful database for conducting economy-wide impact assessments, including SAM-based
multiplier analysis and computable general equilibrium modelling.