Cape Flats

In the 1950s, the apartheid government forced all non-whites to move to government-built communities on the outskirts of major urban centers across South Africa. Cape Town's non-white population was forced to move to the Cape Flats, a low-lying expanse southeast of the central business area of Cape Town. This mass relocation was only one aspect of decades of economic and political oppression that has left the townships of the Cape Flats deeply impoverished, wracked by violent crime, and with limited access to education and health services. Recently, the area has faced disturbing levels of gang violence, as well as armed conflict between gangs and PAGAD (People Against Gangsterism and Drugs), a vigilante organization. 

Dolls

During her long years as an anti-apartheid activist, Ikamva Labantu founder Helen Lieberman often found herself looking for toys to keep fellow activists' children quiet so as not to draw the attention of police. In her search, Lieberman discovered that the only decent dolls produced in South Africa at the time had white skin. Recognizing the importance of children having dolls that look like them, she often stated that when apartheid ended, she would find a way to produce beautiful and proud black dolls. Indeed, when apartheid ended, Lieberman was approached by a woman who offered to help her start production. She jumped at the chance to encourage social justice while providing young children with a sense of self, and the organization quickly blossomed into a business that provides jobs and training for community members, who produce a number of dolls and stuffed toy representations of African animals made from traditional Africa print fabric. 

Region: Southern Africa

Capital: Pretoria (administrative), Cape Town (legislative), Bloemfontein (judicial)

Population: 49,109,107 (2010)

Size: Slightly less than twice the size of Texas

Languages: Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans, Sepedi, English, Setswana, Sesotho, Xitsonga, other

Major religions: Christian (83.5%)

Life expectancy at birth: 49.2 years, 10th lowest in the world

HIV/AIDS adult prevalence rate: 18.1%, 4th highest in the world

HIV/AIDS deaths: 350,000, highest in the world (2007)

Population below poverty line: 50%

Unemployment: 24%; youth unemployement rate (ages 15-24) is 46.9%

Did You Know: Soweto's Vilakazi Street is the only street in the world to have housed two Nobel Prize winners, the Archbishop Desmond Tutu and former president Nelson Mandela. Both won the prestigious Peace Prize, Tutu in 1984, Mandela in 1993.

All statistics from CIA World Factbook 2010 and UNData

Despite having the most robust economy in Africa, producing 9% of the continent's economic activity, South Africa has the second highest number of AIDS patients in the world and is still recovering from years of apartheid. Its past, as well as the instability generated by the AIDS epidemic, have led to much inequality amongst South Africans.

Apartheid's Legacy
Apartheid refers to a series of policies instituted by South Africa's white minority government from 1948 to 1992 to discriminate against non-whites. Most of South Africa's diverse ethnic groups were forced to live in designated areas, prohibited from voting, and denied equal access to services such as health, education, and jobs. Growing internal violence coupled with intensifying international condemnation led then-president Frederik Willem de Klerk to begin dismantling the system and transitioning to democratic rule. South Africa's first free elections took place in 1994 and Nelson Mandela, a central leader in the fight against apartheid, was elected as the country's first black president. The legacy of apartheid can still be seen today in the country's vast racial inequalities. Blacks, who make up over three quarters of the population, suffer from low levels of education, employment, and income. More than 50% of blacks (but only 3% of whites) live below the poverty line.

HIV and AIDS
With 5.5 million people infected with HIV, South Africa has the second highest number of HIV/AIDS patients in the world and the highest number in all of Africa. South Africans spend more time attending funerals than getting hair cuts, going to barbecues, or shopping. Much of this tragedy can be attributed to the government's previous neglect of the issue, as former president Thabo Mbeki and other members of government disputed the effectiveness of providing antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) for treatment. However, the government's response to the crisis is improving; in 2010, under President Jacob Zuma, South Africa launched a major counseling and testing campaign seeking to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS.

Looking Forward
Despite the challenges, South Africa is also upheld for its diversity, and is sometimes referred to as a "rainbow nation." The country's history is rooted in social justice; two universally significant philosophies were born in South Africa. Mahatma Gandhi lived and organized in South Africa for over two decades, during which time he developed the theory of satyagraha, (nonviolence). South African activists used satyagraha in the initial stages of the fight against apartheid. The Zulu concept of Ubuntu describes the common bond between all of humanity and comes from the phrase umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu, "people are people through other people"— the idea that an individual's fortunes are intimately connected to everyone's. Today, this concept is called upon by many as people across South Africa work to move the country forward.