We knew very little about South Africa before we left on our trip but did know about the push to end apartheid in the late 1980s and its ending in the early 1990s. Almost 20 years later, racial segregation is still very evident.
Townships are the most obvious example of the country's racial segregation. Non-whites were required to live in townships in the apartheid era. This is no longer the case but townships persist because the poor cannot afford to live in the towns and cities.
You see at least one large township on the outskirts of every town or city. Here's a few photos Vanessa took from the car.
Large numbers of the homes and shacks in each township are not serviced because they were built without the government's permission. The higher population strains the water and sewage systems. Electricity is also a challenge - residents without access to power boxes in the area simply tap into them directly and run wires all over the township.
The government has a housing program that provides quality, affordable housing to people currently living in shacks. There are challenges here as well. The new communities are often further from towns and cities than the townships are. This further enhances racial segregation. It also makes them less appealing to township residents who need to commute into the towns and cities to work but have limited access to transportation.
We heard of lots of challenges in addition to housing. Unemployment is 25% and even higher for non-whites. There are also big issues with education, policing, corruption, etc.
South Africa is a beautiful but very complex place. It's a country that we'll keep an eye on long after our journey.
Vanessa and Blake
Townships are the most obvious example of the country's racial segregation. Non-whites were required to live in townships in the apartheid era. This is no longer the case but townships persist because the poor cannot afford to live in the towns and cities.
You see at least one large township on the outskirts of every town or city. Here's a few photos Vanessa took from the car.
Large numbers of the homes and shacks in each township are not serviced because they were built without the government's permission. The higher population strains the water and sewage systems. Electricity is also a challenge - residents without access to power boxes in the area simply tap into them directly and run wires all over the township.
The government has a housing program that provides quality, affordable housing to people currently living in shacks. There are challenges here as well. The new communities are often further from towns and cities than the townships are. This further enhances racial segregation. It also makes them less appealing to township residents who need to commute into the towns and cities to work but have limited access to transportation.
We heard of lots of challenges in addition to housing. Unemployment is 25% and even higher for non-whites. There are also big issues with education, policing, corruption, etc.
South Africa is a beautiful but very complex place. It's a country that we'll keep an eye on long after our journey.
Vanessa and Blake
