BACKGROUND ON SOUTH AFRICA
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A map of South Africa's 9 provinces
A map of South Africa's 9 provinces
Located in southern Africa, its coastline goes from the South Atlantic to the Indian Ocean. In the 17th and 18th centuries, South Africa was colonized by Dutch and British empires which started racial segregation in the country. The colonizers had significant control over the country and tighten their grip with the Natives Land Act of 1913 which restricted Black South Africans from owning land. This facilitated the white minority's National Party to rise to power in 1948 and legalize racial segregation in what became known as apartheid.
Located in southern Africa, its coastline goes from the South Atlantic to the Indian Ocean. In the 17th and 18th centuries, South Africa was colonized by Dutch and British empires which started racial segregation in the country. The colonizers had significant control over the country and tighten their grip with the Natives Land Act of 1913 which restricted Black South Africans from owning land. This facilitated the white minority's National Party to rise to power in 1948 and legalize racial segregation in what became known as apartheid.
It was not until 1990 that the National Party allowed other political organizations such as the African National Congress (ANC) to form. In the same year, the white electorate also approved a referendum to end apartheid and released Nelson Mandela, an anti-apartheid activist, from prison. South Africa's first democratic elections were held in 1994 with a majority win from the ANC and Mandela as the first democratically elected president in the country's history.
It was not until 1990 that the National Party allowed other political organizations such as the African National Congress (ANC) to form. In the same year, the white electorate also approved a referendum to end apartheid and released Nelson Mandela, an anti-apartheid activist, from prison. South Africa's first democratic elections were held in 1994 with a majority win from the ANC and Mandela as the first democratically elected president in the country's history.
During the democratic transition, the new government started a massive process to reform policies and erase apartheid from every aspect of society. This new redistributive approach was spearheaded by the Reconstruction and Development Program (RDP) which promised end racial discrimination and provide free public housing, security and employment. While some progress was made with improved standards of living, unemployment remained high due to poor governance, particularly in Black communities, in the post-apartheid period between 1994 and 2003. The government has struggled to tackle unemployment ever since.
During the democratic transition, the new government started a massive process to reform policies and erase apartheid from every aspect of society. This new redistributive approach was spearheaded by the Reconstruction and Development Program (RDP) which promised end racial discrimination and provide free public housing, security and employment. While some progress was made with improved standards of living, unemployment remained high due to poor governance, particularly in Black communities, in the post-apartheid period between 1994 and 2003. The government has struggled to tackle unemployment ever since.
"What are the main causes of youth unemployment in South Africa?". This is the research question for my paper in the International Studies seminar and this website is an expansion of my research paper. Based on my research, I found that poor governance, poor quality of higher education, a lack of skills and socio-economic inequality are some the main ingredients of youth unemployment in South Africa.
"What are the main causes of youth unemployment in South Africa?". This is the research question for my paper in the International Studies seminar and this website is an expansion of my research paper. Based on my research, I found that poor governance, poor quality of higher education, a lack of skills and socio-economic inequality are some the main ingredients of youth unemployment in South Africa.
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
Source: Africa Data Hub 2022
Overall, South Africa has made significant progress in improving health and education. Improving health increased life expectancy from 58 years in 2010 to 68 years in 2019. South Africa has also made significant investments in education and has an upward trend in expected years of schooling. These indicators show a decent standard of living in South Africa. However, even with a Human Development Index of over 0.70, inequality and poverty are still persistent.
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