Social situation Rift between rich and poor

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People in a slum on the outskirts of Cape Town

Social structures are unstable and crime is alarmingly high compared with other countries, especially in terms of gender-based violence. South Africa has one of the world’s highest rates of murder and rape. In 2021, the major social problems in the country led to violent unrest.

In 2010, the government launched a national planning commission. It has engaged in an open, dialogue-based process to analyse development deficits and develop a long-term strategy for the country. In summer 2012, the commission presented a national development plan for the years until 2030. It is aimed at overcoming poverty and social inequality.

Poverty and unemployment

More than half the population of South Africa continues to live below the national poverty line. Poverty affects the black population worst. Few other countries have such pronounced disparities of wealth and income as South Africa. The situation has been exacerbated by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the price increases in raw materials, energy and food resulting from Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine.

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, unemployment had reached a record high of 29 per cent. It rose to over 30 per cent as a result of the pandemic. Over half of young people aged between 15 and 24 are out of work, according to the World Bank.

Land ownership unevenly distributed

Despite remarkable progress being achieved on water, energy and basic housing provision, there are still areas where public services fall below standard. This is particularly true of areas where the black population lives, the former homelands and townships. The country has been striving for many years to carry out comprehensive land reforms that will benefit the majority black population; the plan, however, is making slow progress. Most fertile farmland is still in the hands of white farmers. The private sector in particular has been unsettled by the current debate on expropriation of land without compensation. In October 2020, the government proposed a bill that would regulate compensation for land expropriation “in the public interest” and “for the public benefit”.

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Sign of an AIDS prevention campaign at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in Port Elizabeth, South Africa

High HIV prevalence

The spread of HIV and AIDS is a major problem for South Africa’s society and economy – the country has one of the highest infection rates in the world. Around 7.6 million of the country’s 60 million people have HIV. One fifth of people aged between 15 and 49 are HIV-positive. Tied in with this is a tuberculosis epidemic. The infectious disease is one of the biggest killers of AIDS patients in South Africa.

Shortcomings in medical provision and the indecisive HIV/AIDS policy the government pursued for many years are felt to be jointly responsible for the massive social and health policy challenges. Serious efforts to tackle HIV only began a few years ago. South Africa now has the world’s largest antiretroviral therapy programme, in which special drugs are dispensed in order to slow or prevent the onset of AIDS. Three quarters of those infected now have access to such medication according to UNAIDS data.

The benefits of improvements in prevention and treatment can already be seen. New cases of HIV fell by 57 per cent between 2010 and 2022 and there were 70 per cent fewer deaths from AIDS. Mother-to-child transmission of HIV has also decreased. Average life expectancy in South Africa has risen again. It temporarily dropped to 54 years, but currently stands at 62 years.