Official sets of data from Statistics South Africa in the post-apartheid era suggest a general trend of
rapidly increasing numbers of households against the population of individuals which is increasing at
a decreasing growth-rate. Using multivariate statistical methods, this study investigates the interaction
of demographic variables and their impact on the rapid increase in household numbers in South
Africa. This study also examines the impact of the rapid increase of households to delivery of basic
services. The results provide a scientific confirmation that the rapid increase could best be attributed
to fragmentation of households. The paper recommends that the fast pace of household growth in
South Africa should adequately be factored into household-based service delivery models of
government at least to the next decade as the trend is expected to continue into the near future.