South Africa’s Wealth Divide: The Roots of Economic Inequality

The World Bank recognises South Africa as one of the most economically unequal countries in the world. But this vast divide didn’t happen overnight or by accident. It’s the result of a long, painful history built on centuries of structural injustice, beginning with colonialism and firmly entrenched by apartheid. Since apartheid ended in 1994, the gap between the rich and the poor has only expanded. This inequality is closely linked to racial divisions created by historic systems of racial hierarchy. Under apartheid, power was concentrated in the hands of a white minority who deliberately denied economic opportunities to the Black majority.