Reflections on South Africa

Joburg at night

IMPORTANT CAVEAT:  I am not an expert on South Africa or Africa, and I do not portend to have any great insight to share, especially after only a couple of weeks.  This post and subsequent ones about what I see are merely my very limited observations and not intended to be anything more.

Apartheid ended in 1994 but the issue of race continues to dominate the political, cultural and social landscape.  Given apartheid’s fundamental injustice and the atrocities that transpired during the uprising against it, perhaps race should continue to be a profound element of public discourse.  Or the past is prologue and the deep economic and social inequalities along racial lines will persist so long as the rhetoric among political leaders is purposefully divisive.

For the majority of residents in the capital of Johannesburg it is nearly a first-world city.  It has a modern airport, well-maintained interstates, potable tap water, and a reliable power grid.

In addition to the basics, you will find dozens of welcoming neighborhoods with their own character that includes quaint restaurants, boutique clothing stores, and plenty of art galleries and high-end furniture stores.

In other areas, you see towering “luxury apartment” complexes amidst car dealerships selling Aston Martin, McLaren and Mercedes next to giant malls with stores rivaling any in London, Paris, New York and Hong Kong.  Joburg is a global city and the most cosmopolitan in Africa.

As the continent’s most developed economy, South Africa is a magnet for those around Africa seeking work, many of which enter the country illegally.  On the city’s outskirts, there are sprawling shantytowns where tin huts are tightly packed along the sides of the interstate.  For the most part, the impoverished are far from view and, despite the country’s increasing prosperity and growing middle-class, many are desperately poor and with little hope of escape.

Persistent economic inequality fuels simmering racial tensions, creating a powerful political cocktail that spills over during election campaigns.  This inequality is also behind a long-running upsurge in violent crime in the city that is usually black on white and in the wealthiest neighborhoods.  The fear of crime is pervasive as evidenced by homes resembling bunkers with high walls and electrified fences and warning signs out front with “Armed Response” prominently displayed.

Despite the stubborn social challenges, Joburg has a vibrancy that rivals other cities around the world.  Economically, the city is the home of Standard Bank – the continent’s largest bank that is part owned by China’s CIBIC – and Africa’s largest and most active stock exchange.  Recently, Wal-Mart bought a controlling interest in South Africa-based Massmart; a retail chain with locations in 14 African countries, marking what is likely to be the first of other major landings in Africa by Western brands.  The city is globalization’s beachhead in Africa.  And Johannesburg’s burgeoning film industry, art scene, and highly regarded universities brings a critical flair and energy to the city’s economic prowess.

Some items on the lighter side include:

• A “robot” is a traffic light.
• “Howzit?” is the proper way to greet someone.
• And the top news from America on the local radio is “TomKat”.

Joburg’s lasting impression on me is of a city that will continue to lead the nation, and the continent, into the future.  However, the real story is in the people I was fortunate enough to meet, all of whom will be discussed in the next post.