The Many Faces of South Africa

Africa is a continent dominated by generalizations and stereotypes. It is a shame that the image of such a beautiful land, rich in history and culture has been consumed by poverty and disaster which tragically exist across the continent. The true beauty of South Africa is the diversity that exists within the country. It is a nation of more than 50 million people of diverse origins, cultures, languages, and religious beliefs. With such high diversity rates it is often referred to as the 'rainbow nation'. Of the 45 million South Africans, nearly 31 million are Black, 5 million White, 3 million Coloured(the term "colored" is still used for the people of mixed race descended from slaves brought in from East and Central Africa) and one million Indian. The constitution recognizes eleven official languages, along with eight unofficial languages. Furthermore, the country also has a wide mix of religions that accept the wide array of diverse people living within the country.
Although the diversity in the country should be celebrated, it unfortunately presents many confrontations between races. The history of the confrontation goes back to landing of the Dutch in 1652 and the colonization that occured by the British in 1806. Although this occured hundreds of years ago, the country is presently a representation of the after effects of its history. To date, the country struggles to find a balanced equality between its people. For example, Statistics South Africa reported that in 1995 the average white household earned four times as much as the average black household. Although an older statistic, it repersents the poor and inequal living standard in South Africa. As time moderinizes, it is imagined that over time the statistic would decrease. Yet surprisingly, in 2000 the inequality increased as the average white household was now earning six times more than the average black household. Such a statistic demonstrates the prominent inequality within the races. Although South Africa does possess a wide array of diversity, the country must work on accepting and celebrating human equality. If this is achieved, South Africa will serve as a positive example for the rest of the African countries, leading the way to a hopefully brighter future.