As a young Black woman raised in a township, with the support of a close-knit family of five, access has been the sparrow our eyes have always been on. I have always appreciated having access to certain opportunities and I have understood the barriers and obstacles that stand in my way. The first time I was confronted by this reality was when I could not further my studies after matriculating in 2017 because I did not have funding. Different experiences have shaped my understanding of the strengths and limitations found within our systems and I continuously find myself living in two different worlds.
On the one hand it is the South Africa that was promised to us, one of opportunity, liberty and equality. On the other hand, is the South Africa where opportunities remain elusive for so many of us and success is reserved for a lucky few. The question here isn’t about trying to understand why this is the case, but rather how much longer can we afford to wait for equality. Whenever we speak of injustice, I picture my lived experiences, my reality and the reality of so many young people.
My approach to calling out this specific form of injustice, one that many young people in South Africa face, is far from detached or surface level. It stems from a deep passion rooted in my own personal experiences and the shared struggles of my community. I have walked the same streets; I have faced the same systemic barriers, and I have felt the weight of inequality and exclusion first hand. This piece isn’t some academic exercise, or research based on distant observation, it is a lived reality that fuels my commitment to advocate for change in my lifetime. Every word is driven by a need to see justice realised.
Realising this justice is intrinsically linked back to our history as a people. It took navigating the real world in order to understand that hard work is not enough when faced with systemic inequality. A system able to subject so many of us in economic limbo, a period marked by a long period of drought. We work hard, graduate and still find ourselves stuck, watching other people thrive while we struggle for the most basic opportunities.
The lingering impact of our history
Our realities today are often shaped by our dark and eery past. We cannot ignore that our history has shaped the present. We continue to be confronted with the remnants and legacies left behind by this history. Economic structures, education systems, language, and ways of knowing and doing find roots in our history. Apartheid and colonisation may have ended, but the economic structures they built remain. The generational impact of land dispossession, economic exclusion and deliberate under-education of Black communities have left millions of South Africans, like me, wrestling with impossible odds.
Let us confront the painful reality, we live in a society where your surname, your area code and even the accent you speak in determine whether you find employment, where you find employment and the opportunities and resources that are accessible to you. I find myself painfully aware of these realities.
At the Nelson Mandela Foundation, I have witnessed both the efforts made towards a just society and the challenges of making real, systemic change. Even here, in this space dedicated to justice and equity, we see that the legacy of our history is enduring, it determines how far we go and who gets left behind.
In the last quarter, the unemployment rate increased to 33,5% (one in three people do not have a job.) This shows the immediate economic distress that is faced by people and shows the systemic issues that relate to inequality. Many people are unable to find opportunities of employment, and this leads to a generation that will face economic disadvantage. With an increase in unemployment, there is increase in poverty levels within the country. We see it in the systemic underfunding of Black owned businesses. And we see it in the unequal access to mentorship, professional networks, and internships. The truth is, access to opportunity in South Africa is still based on privilege, a privilege that most of us never had and can’t afford to sit out any longer.
Solutions for economic equity
The need has shifted from dialogue, research, discourses and policies to implementation, interventions and action capable of addressing systemic challenges. We need real opportunities and access to resources. Not just jobs or internships that keep you in this cycle of lack.
In September, I had the privilege of heading up a conference on the African Union's Agenda 2063, where we explored Aspiration number 6 – An Africa, whose development is people-driven, relying on the potential of African people, especially its women and youth, and caring for children. The overarching theme was on accessible, resilient education for Africa - making sure that quality education is accessible from early childhood to tertiary is non-negotiable. We want to see an education system with an updated curriculum that is rooted in skills that align with an evolving African economy. The divide between private and public needs to stop, the quality needs to be the same. We need to rethink how our education system functions. Investing in schools in previously disadvantaged areas must be a priority, ensuring that young people from these communities are not left behind.
Another key area is found in mentorship and networking opportunities, it’s often said that "it’s not what you know, but who you know." But in a country where the vast majority of the population has been historically excluded from power and influence, who do we know? There is a growing need to ensure that young Black professionals are given access to spaces to allow them to build networks.
We cannot speak on solutions without mentioning redistribution efforts towards equity, land redistribution and economic justice. One symbol of inequality in South Africa is the land issue. Resolving the land question is a way of curbing intergenerational poverty and trauma. It opens up access to a key resource in this country.
The present’s push, if not now then when?
When we convene and facilitate open dialogues on social justice, one injustice that should always be mentioned is the economic problem that is linked to so many other injustices. It is the lack of opportunities for many young black people, it is an issue of land, it is an issue of redistribution and access. Every day that passes is a day that young black people fall further behind. Every year that these inequalities persist is a year that our communities are pushed deeper into poverty, a poverty that is intergenerational.
As a young Black woman, I feel this urgency deeply. We cannot wait another generation for change. We need a system that values us, that creates pathways for us. We need a system that understands that without equity, true freedom cannot be realised.