"The past five years, notably between 2011 and 2015, have been a rough economic roller- coaster driven by a combination of international and domestic factors, such as low economic growth, continuing high unemployment levels, low commodity prices, higher consumer prices [especially for energy and food], lower investment levels, greater household dependency on credit and policy uncertainty," the report said.
The increase is an improvement on a decade ago when it was estimated that two of every three South Africans lived in poverty.
The StatsSA report was compiled using data from the Living Conditions Survey and the Income and Expenditure Survey, which measure household spending.
Whites remain the least affected by poverty with only 1% living below the upper-bound poverty line; 64% of blacks and 41% of coloureds did not meet the threshold. Indians were the only group who did not experience an increase in 2015, but 5.9 in 100 Indians still live below the upper-bound poverty line.
Social wages - including grants, free primary healthcare and no fee-paying schools - have played a big role in reducing the effect of poverty on the population.
In the 2016-2017 financial year the Treasury set aside R164.6-billion for grants. That figure is expected to grow to more than R200-billion by 2020.