White South African Information
White South African is a term which refers to people from South Africa who are of Caucasian descent. In linguistic, cultural and historical terms, they are generally divided into the Afrikaans-speaking descendants of mainly Dutch, German and French settlers, known as Afrikaners, and the English-speaking Anglo-Africans who share an Anglophone background (mainly of British and Irish descent).
White South Africans differ significantly from other white African groups due to not only their much larger population but because they have evolved into a different nation, such as the Afrikaners, who established a separate language, culture and church in Africa. They also differ as potentially being the last major white African ethnic group on the African continent. Their role in the South African economy and political life has remained, which differs from other African countries such as Kenya or Zimbabwe where whites retreated from the political spectrum. Whites currently number about 4.5 million, or about 9% of South Africa's population. It is estimated that as many as 800,000 whites have emigrated from the country since the end of apartheid in 1994.
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Background
Demographics
Statistics South Africa estimated that, as of July 2010[update], there were about 4,584,700 white people in South Africa, amounting to 9.2% of the country's population.[1] Roughly 59% of white South Africans speak Afrikaans as their mother language and about 39% speak English.[2] White Speakers of Afrikaans sometimes refer to themselves as Afrikaners, but often also as "Afrikaans people". Unlike the Afrikaners, the English speakers have not constituted a coherent political or cultural entity in South Africa. Hence, the absence of a commonly accepted term to designate them, although 'English South African' or 'English-speaking South African' is used (see Anglo-African).
Approximately 87% of white South Africans are Christian, 9% have no religion, and 1% are Jewish. The largest Christian denomination is the Dutch Reformed Church, with 34% of the white population being members. Other significant denominations are the Methodist Church (8%), the Roman Catholic Church (7%), and the Anglican Church (6%).[3]
Many white people have migrated to South Africa from other parts of Africa following the independence of those African nations or when those nations became hostile to them. Many Portuguese from Mozambique and Angola and white Zimbabweans emigrated to South Africa when their respective countries became independent. South Africa also remains a prime destination amongst British emigrants.
Meanwhile, many white South Africans also emigrated to Western countries over the past two decades, mainly to English-speaking countries such as the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States, with others settling in the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Argentina, Mexico, and Brazil.
Distribution
White South Africans as a proportion of the total population.| 0–20% 20–40% 40–60% | 60–80% 80–100% No population |
| <1 /km² 1–3 /km² 3–10 /km² 10–30 /km² 30–100 /km² | 100–300 /km² 300–1000 /km² 1000–3000 /km² >3000 /km² |
According to Statistics South Africa, white Africans make up about 9.2% (July 2010) of the total population in South Africa.[1] Major cities in South Africa themselves actually have a white majority while the municipality they lie in has a black majority due to the inclusion of neighboring townships. Their actual proportional share in municipalities is likely to be higher, given the undercount in the 2001 census.[4]
The following table shows the distribution of white people by province, according to the Community Survey 2007[5]:
| Province | White population | Percentage of province | Percentage of whites |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Cape | 304,342 | 4.7 | 6.57 |
| Free State | 266,555 | 9.6 | 5.76 |
| Gauteng | 1,923,829 | 18.4 | 41.58 |
| KwaZulu-Natal | 452,224 | 4.4 | 9.77 |
| Limpopo | 114,708 | 2.2 | 2.47 |
| Mpumalanga | 249,326 | 6.8 | 5.38 |
| North West | 236,467 | 7.2 | 5.11 |
| Northern Cape | 106,178 | 10.0 | 2.29 |
| Western Cape | 973,115 | 18.4 | 21.03 |
| Total | 4,626,744 | 9.1 | 100% |
Politics
Romanticised painting of an account of the arrival of Jan van Riebeeck, founder of Cape Town.White South Africans continue to participate in politics, having a presence across the whole political spectrum from left to right. In general, white people consider themselves to be just as African as the non-white majority in South Africa.[citation needed]
South African President Jacob Zuma, commented in 2009 on Afrikaners being "the only white tribe in a black continent or outside of Europe which is truly African." and said that "of all the white groups that are in South Africa, it is only the Afrikaners that are truly South Africans in the true sense of the word."[6] These remarks have led to the Centre for Constitutional Rights (CCR) laying a complaint with the Human Rights Commission against Zuma.[7]
Former president Thabo Mbeki stated in one of his speeches to the nation that: "South Africa belongs to everyone who lives in it. Black and White."[8] The history of white people in South Africa dates back to the 17th century.
There has been some rivalry and bitter feeling between Afrikaners and English-speaking Anglo-Africans. This is due in part to the Second Boer War, Britain's attempt to anglicize the country during the first half of the 20th century, and Afrikaner nationalism.
Prior to 1994, the white minority held complete political power under a system of racial segregation called apartheid. Many white people supported this policy, but some others opposed it; During apartheid, immigrants from Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan were considered honorary whites in the country, as the government had and maintained diplomatic relations with these countries. These were granted the same privileges as white people, at least for purposes of residence.[9] Black Americans were sometimes granted an 'honorary white' status as well, based on the government's belief that they were "civilized" and possessed western values.[citation needed]
Today, the majority of white people support the Democratic Alliance, a liberal party led by Helen Zille, the Premier of the Western Cape.[10] However a minority (especially among the Afrikaners) support the Freedom Front, a conservative party for Afrikaans interests.
Current trends
| This article's section called "Current trends" needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be and removed. (November 2008) |
In recent decades there has been a steady proportional (and possibly also numerical) decline in the white African population, due to higher birthrates among the non-white population of South Africa, as well as high emigration. In 1977, there were 4.3 million whites, constituting 16.4% of the population at the time.
Graeme Smith, captain of the South Africa national cricket team.More recently, the improved counting of the majority black African population has contributed to a sharp decline since 1994.[citation needed] In 1994, upon the abolition of apartheid, white Africans comprised 13.6% of the population, compared to 9.1% in January 2010.[citation needed] According to some previous census data, the highest proportion of white people in South Africa occurred around 1911-41, when they made up between 19-21% of the population.[citation needed] It is estimated that at least 800,000 white Africans have moved abroad since 1995.[11]
Like many other communities strongly affiliated with the West and Europe's colonial legacy in Africa, the white Africans are often economically better off than their black African neighbors and have only relatively recently surrendered political dominance to majority rule. There were also some white Africans in South Africa who lived in poverty--especially during the 1930s and increasingly since the end of minority rule. Current estimates of white poverty in South Africa run as high as 12%.[citation needed]
The new phenomenon of white poverty is often blamed on the government’s affirmative action employment legislation, which reserves 80% of new jobs for black people[citation needed] and favours companies owned by black people (see Black Economic Empowerment). Over 350,000 Afrikaners may be classified as poor, with some research claiming that up to 150,000 are struggling for survival.[12][13]
There have been increasing incidents of racism against white South Africans since 1994. In particular the actions of racist police personnel towards white victims have attracted media attention.[14] White men arrested and held in overcrowded cells on minor or spurious charges have taken legal action against the government, as many have been raped, contracted HIV, and been assaulted by violent criminals (often rape and murder suspects) held in the same cells.[15]
There are 40,000 mostly white commercial farmers in South Africa. Since 1994, close to 3,363 [16] farmers and family members have been murdered in thousands of farm attacks, with many being brutally tortured and/or raped. Some victims have been burned with smoothing irons or had boiling water poured down their throats.[17]
The Anglo-African population has a high relative turnover rate; not just of emigration, but immigration as well: By 2005, an estimated 212,000 British citizens were residing in South Africa. Since 2003, the numbers of British emigrants coming to South Africa has risen by 50%. An estimated 20,000 British emigrants moved to South Africa in 2007. The reasons cited by many emigrants are South Africa's family values, the weather and a better quality of life.[18]
Some white South Africans living in predominantly wealthy white suburbs such as Sandton have been affected by the 2008 13.5% rise in house robberies and associated crime.[citation needed] In a study, Senior researcher at the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), Dr. Johan Burger, said that criminals were specifically targeting "richer" suburbs. Burger revealed that several affluent suburbs are surrounded by poorer residential areas and that inhabitants in the latter often target inhabitants in the former. The Dr. also related to an entitlement complex that criminals have; "They feel they are entitled, for their own sakes, to take from those who have a lot". The report also found that residents in wealthy suburbs in Gauteng were not only at more risk of being targeted but also faced an inflated chance of being murdered during the robbery.[19]
The current global financial crisis has slowed down the high rates of white people emigrating overseas and has led to increasing numbers of white emigrants returning to live in South Africa. Charles Luyckx, CEO of Elliot International and a board member of the Professional Movers Association said that in the past six months leading to December (2008), emigration numbers had dropped by "10%".Meanwhile he revealed that "people imports" had increased by 50%.[20]
Despite the decline, between 2009 and 2010, not only did the number of white South Africans increase by 108,000, but even their percentage increased from 9.1 to 9.2%.[21] This made them the fastest growing ethnic group in that period of time, with a growth rate of 2.5%, far higher than the 1.4% for black South Africans.
Statistics
Fertility rates
Contraception among white South Africans is stable/slightly falling, 80% used contraception in 1990, while only 79% used it in 1998.[22]
| Year | Total fertility rate[23] |
|---|---|
| 1960 | 3.5 |
| 1970 | 3.1 |
| 1980 | 2.4 |
| 1990 | 2.1 |
| 1996 | 1.9 |
| 1998 | 1.9 |
| 2001[24] | 1.8 |
| 2006[25] | 1.8 |
| 2007[26] | 1.4 |
Life expectancy
The average life expectancy at birth for males and females
| Year | Average life expectancy | Male life expectancy | Female life expectancy |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985[27] | 71 | ? | ? |
| 1997 | 73.5 | 70 | 77 |
| 2009[28][29] | 71 | ? | ? |
Unemployment
| Province | (strict) White unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| Eastern Cape[30] | 4.5% |
| Free State | |
| Gauteng[31] | 8.7% |
| KwaZulu-Natal[32] | 8.0% |
| Limpopo[33] | 8.0% |
| Mpumalanga[32] | 7.5% |
| North West | |
| Northern Cape[34] | 4.5% |
| Western Cape | 2.0% |
| Total |
Percentage of workforce
| Province | Whites % of the workforce | Whites % of population |
|---|---|---|
| Eastern Cape[30] | 10% | 4% |
| Free State | ||
| Gauteng[35] | 25% | 18% |
| KwaZulu-Natal[32] | 11% | 6% |
| Limpopo[33] | 5% | 2% |
| Mpumalanga | ||
| North West | ||
| Northern Cape[34] | 19% | 12% |
| Western Cape[36] | 22% | 18% |
| Total |
Religion
Religion among White South Africans remains high compared to other white ethnic groups, but likewise it has shown a steady proportional drop in both membership and church attendance with until recently the majority of white South Africans attending regular Church services.
| Religion | Number | Percentage (%) |
|---|---|---|
| - Christianity | 3 979 519 | 86.8% |
| - Reformed Churches | 1 700 923 | 37.1% |
| - Methodist church | 362 191 | 7.9% |
| - Pentecostal/Charismatic church | 307 175 | 6.7% |
| - Apostolic church | 302 590 | 6.6% |
| - Catholic church | 298 005 | 6.5% |
| - Anglican church | 265 912 | 5.8% |
| - Presbyterian church | 77 940 | 1.7% |
| - Lutheran church | 27 508 | 0.6% |
| - Other Christian church | 618 934 | 13.5% |
| Judaism | 64 186 | 1.4% |
| Islam | 9 169 | 0.2% |
| Hinduism | 2 751 | 0.06% |
| No affiliation | 403 453 | 8.8% |
| Undermined | 91 694 | 2.0% |
| Total | 4 584 700 |
Notable White South Africans
Science and technology
- Christiaan Barnard, surgeon who performed first successful human heart transplant
- Sydney Brenner, biologist, (Nobel Prize, Physiology/Medicine 2002)
- Allan McLeod Cormack, physicist (Nobel Prize, Medicine 1979)
- Mark Shuttleworth, founder of Ubuntu, a Linux based computer Operating system, and first South African in space
- Max Theiler, virologist (Nobel Prize, Medicine 1951)
Arts and media
- Jani Allan, columnist and radio commentator
- Breyten Breytenbach, writer and painter
- Andre Brink, novelist
- J. M. Coetzee, novelist (Nobel Prize, Literature 2003)
- Sharlto Copley, producer, actor, and director
- Duncan Faure, singer/songwriter and musician
- Athol Fugard, playwright
- Nadine Gordimer, writer (Nobel Prize, Literature 1991)
- Sonja Herholdt, Recording artist
- Taubie Kushlick, actress and theatre producer
- Antjie Krog, writer
- Dave Matthews, grammy award-winning singer-songwriter
- Alan Paton, writer
- Seether, rock band
- Allister Sparks, writer and journalist
- Candice Swanepoel, Model
- Charlize Theron, Academy Award-winning actress
- Arnold Vosloo, actor
- Civil Twilight, rock band
Politics
- P. W. Botha, former State President of South Africa
- F. W. de Klerk, former State President of South Africa
- Paul Kruger, former State President of the South African Republic (Transvaal), gained international renown as the face of Boer resistance during Second Boer War
- D. F. Malan, former Prime Minister of South Africa
- Harry Schwarz, lawyer, politician, diplomat and anti-apartheid leader
- Joe Slovo, former leader of the South African Communist Party
- Jan Smuts, former Prime Minister of South Africa and British Field Marshal
- Helen Suzman, anti-apartheid activist and MP
- Eugène Terre'Blanche, leader of the AWB
- Hendrik Verwoerd, Prime Minister of South Africa and primary architect of Apartheid
- Helen Zille, leader of the Democratic Alliance and Premier of the Western Cape
Sport
- Jody Scheckter, former Formula One auto-racer and winner of 1979 Formula One season
- Gary Player, former professional golfer, widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of golf
- Johan Kriek, professional tennis player and winner of the 1981 Australian Open
- Gerrie Coetzee, former boxer, first boxer from Africa to win a world heavyweight title
- Zola Budd, former track and field runner, broke the world record in the women's 5000 m twice in under three years
- Elana Meyer, former long-distance runner, set 15 km road running and half marathon African records
- François Pienaar, former captain of the Springboks, leading South Africa to victory in the 1995 Rugby World Cup
- Neil Tovey, former captain of Bafana Bafana, leading South Africa to victory in the 1996 African Cup of Nations
- Okkert Brits, former pole vaulter, holds the African record and only African in the "6 metres club"
- Penny Heyns, former swimmer, the only woman in the history of the Olympic Games to have won both the 100 m and 200 m breaststroke events, at the 1996 Summer Olympics
- Ernie Els, professional golfer, former World No. 1 and winner of three Majors
- Percy Montgomery, former rugby union player and current record holder for both caps and points for the Springboks
- John Smit, captain of the Springboks, leading South Africa to victory in the 2007 Rugby World Cup
- Giniel de Villiers, racing driver and winner of the 2009 Dakar Rally
- Paul Lloyd Jr., professional wrestler, currently signed with World Wrestling Entertainment performing under the name Justin Gabriel
See also
References
- ^ a b c "Statistical Release P0302: Mid-year population estimates, 2010" (PDF). Statistics South Africa. 27 July 2009. p. 4. http://www.statssa.gov.za/publications/P0302/P03022010.pdf. Retrieved 20 July 2010.
- ^ "Table: Census 2001 by province, gender, language and population group.". Statistics South Africa. http://www.statssa.gov.za/timeseriesdata/pxweb2006/Dialog/varval.asp?ma=Language%20by%20province&ti=Table%3A+Census+2001+by+province%2C+gender%2C+language+and+population+group.+&path=../Database/South%20Africa/Population%20Census/Census%202001%20-%20Demarcation%20boundaries%20as%20at%2010%20October%202001/Provincial%20level%20-%20Persons/&lang=1. Retrieved 1 December 2009.
- ^ "Table: Census 2001 by province, gender, religion recode (derived) and population group.". Statistics South Africa. http://www.statssa.gov.za/timeseriesdata/pxweb2006/Dialog/varval.asp?ma=Religion%20by%20province&ti=Table%3A+Census+2001+by+province%2C+gender%2C+religion+recode+%28derived%29+and++population+group.+&path=../Database/South%20Africa/Population%20Census/Census%202001%20-%20Demarcation%20boundaries%20as%20at%2010%20October%202001/Provincial%20level%20-%20Persons/&lang=1. Retrieved 1 December 2009.
- ^ "Where have all the whites gone?". Pretoria News. 2005-10-08. http://www.pretorianews.co.za/?fSectionId=&fArticleId=vn20051008105843418C861797. Retrieved 2010-03-25.
- ^ "Table: Community Survey 2007 by province, population group, gender and age group". Statistics South Africa. http://www.statssa.gov.za/timeseriesdata/pxweb2006/Dialog/varval.asp?ma=agegrp_gender_popgrp&ti=Community+Survey+2007+by+province%2C+population+group%2C+gender+and+age+group&path=../Database/South%20Africa/Community%20Survey%202007/Persons/Province/&lang=1. Retrieved 2 December 2009.
- ^ "Zuma: Afrikaners true S Africans". http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Zuma-Afrikaners-true-S-Africans-20090402. Retrieved 3 May 2010.
- ^ Zuma’s Afrikaner remark before HRC The Times. 3 April 2009
- ^ "Address of the then President of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki, at the celebration of Nelson Mandela's 90th Birthday". African National Congress Website. 2008-07-19. http://www.anc.org.za/ancdocs/history/mbeki/2008/tm0719.html. Retrieved 2010-03-23.
- ^ Honorary Whites, TIME, January 19, 1962
- ^ The pocket guide to voting in 2009 The Times. 29 March 2009
- ^ White flight from South Africa | Between staying and going, The Economist, September 25, 2008
- ^ Simon Wood meets the people who lost most when Mandela won in South Africa
- ^ South Africa - Poor Whites
- ^ "Cop: You whites must f*** off". News24. 6 November 2008. http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/News/0,,2-7-1442_2422454,00.html.
- ^ "Inmates sang to drown screams". News24. 22 October 2008. http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/News/0,,2-7-1442_2414245,00.html.
- ^ Adriana Stuijt (2010-05-14). Farm Murder death list: 1987 - May 11, 2010. http://censorbugbear-reports.blogspot.com/2010/05/farm-murder-death-list-since-1987-to.html.
- ^ Criminal Justice Monitor (2003-07-31). Report of the Committee of Inquiry into Farm Attacks. http://www.issafrica.org/CJM/farmrep/index.htm. Retrieved 2006-10-11.
- ^ "Sunny skies, family values lure Brits". Home Coming Revolution. 2007. http://www.homecomingrevolution.co.za/?page=2&category_id=23&related_id=2503.
- ^ "Criminals feel 'entitled' to steal". News 24. 2 July 2008. http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/News/0,,2-7-1442_2350492,00.html.
- ^ Coming Home The Times. 21 December 2008
- ^ http://www.mediaclubsouthafrica.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=81:south-africas-population&catid=42:landnews&Itemid=110
- ^ http://www.sarpn.org.za/documents/d0000104/page4.php
- ^ http://www.sarpn.org.za/documents/d0000104/page2.php
- ^ http://www.hst.org.za/healthstats/5/data/eth
- ^ http://www.hst.org.za/healthstats/5/data/eth
- ^ Community Survey 2007
- ^ http://www.israel21c.org/opinion/israel-and-the-apartheid-lie
- ^ http://www.skillsportal.co.za/asgisa/14092010-Zwelinzima-Vavi-address-Nedlac-Summit.htm
- ^ http://links.org.au/node/1851
- ^ a b http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/bitstream/15617/1/bp050002.pdf
- ^ http://www.fin24.com/Business/Gauteng-life-a-mixed-bag-20100527
- ^ a b c http://www.elsenburg.com/PROVIDE/reports/backgroundp/BP2009_1_8_%20MP%20Demographics.pdf
- ^ a b http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/bitstream/15607/1/bp050009.pdf
- ^ a b http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/bitstream/15612/1/bp050003.pdf
- ^ http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/bitstream/15615/1/bp050007.pdf
- ^ http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/bitstream/15619/1/bp050001.pdf
- ^ http://www.southafrica.info/about/facts.htm
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Categories: Ethnic groups in South Africa | White South African people
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