A Thriving Post-Apartheid South Africa

The nation of South Africa is an incredible region full of beauty, entertainment, and hope. While South Africa’s history contains heartbreaking and significant struggles, the nation has made a remarkable recovery and is still striving to find healing and success. The nation’s success and recovery from great struggle can be attributed to a variety of unique elements. Due in part to varied geographic features, an abundance of natural resources, successful national and international trade, and thriving religions, South Africa is slowly overcoming the atrocities of the Apartheid.


In 1948, the nation of Africa entered one of the most tragic periods of history it will likely ever face. “The Afrikaner National Party won the general election under the slogan “apartheid” (literally “separateness”).”[1] The party’s goal was to separate the nation, “not only to separate South
Africa’s white minority from its non-white majority, but also to separate non-whites from each other, and to divide black South Africans along tribal lines in order to decrease their political power.”[2] By 1950, Apartheid was the law and the next 20 years were filled with tremendous mistreatment, segregation and discrimination. It was not until 1970 that “the internal contradictions of apartheid finally caused its slow demise.”[3] Perhaps the most amazing element of South Africa is the incredible way that it was able to recover from the immense tragedy that was the Apartheid. The next few paragraphs will outline just a few elements of the incredible ability of South Africa to overcome. 

One of the nation’s most beneficial attributes is the diversity of its geography. South Africa encompasses a rather large part of the continent of Africa. It is approximately "1/8 the size of the US."[4] The primary geographic features of South Africa are the Karoo plateau and the Kalahari Desert. The climate in the area surrounding these two landforms consists of dry, desert summers and icy winters. In the southernmost part of the region, including Cape Town area, the climate is Mediterranean. The geography varies as much as the people in South Africa. While there are vast plains and desert-like areas, there are also mountains and coastal beaches. As stereotyped as the landforms of Africa are the wildlife. The entire country is certainly not Lion King-esque, but some areas are! South Africa has "two of the world's most renowned wildlife reserves, the Kruger and the Kalahari Gemsbok National Parks" and "excellent road and rail systems"[5] making it an excellent tourist location. The nation’s economy certainly benefits from the tourism brought by these sorts of venues.


South Africa is undoubtedly a research rich place. The primary resources of the region include diamonds, gold, natural gas, coal and various other metals. Perhaps the most important resource of the nation is its large supply of gold. According to the Britannica Encyclopedia, “Gold remains the most important mineral—South Africa is the world’s largest producer—and reserves are large.”[6] With a recent decrease in gold mining, abandoned mines can be seen all over the South African landscape. Between coal and gold, platinum and chromium, the majority of the nation’s resources are obtained through the mining process. One of the most substantial local perks to having such a large supply of coal is the potential for energy generation. During my time in South Africa this summer, I had the interesting opportunity to visit a local power plant that had just collapsed. Just days before my visit, however, the plant had been powering much of Johannesburg with its thermal energy. The coal deposits in the nation serve as an invaluable resource and cost cutter for energy production.

Thanks to an abundance of resources, the nation’s economy is supported largely by regional and international trade. The European Commission on trade states, “South Africa is the EU's largest trading partner in Africa. A member of the African Caribbean Pacific group of countries, South Africa is by far the strongest of sub-Saharan Africa's economies.”[7] In reference to the specific items being traded, the commission states the primary items are fuel and mining products.[8] While international trade makes up a large part of the nation’s economic ventures, regional trade is also significant “especially through the Southern African Development Community.”[9] According to the Britannica, “Since the end of apartheid, South African companies have sought to expand investment in other African countries, particularly in mining and commercial activity.”[10] Investing in other African countries through trade is just one of the many ways the continent has sought unity following the apartheid.

Religious involvement in South Africa is strong. According to The Joshua Project, the primary religion in South Africa is Christianity, composing 77.6% of religious involvement.[11] South Africa is highly religious, with only seven out of 62 people groups remaining unreached.[12] The influence of Christianity on religion is owed largely to “European missionaries to southern Africa during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.”[13] Outside of Christianity, both Islam and traditional African religions are practiced in South Africa. In the spirit of the “New South Africa,” even Christianity and Islam are happily coexisting. “Many Christians and Muslims in sub-Saharan Africa describe members of the other faith as tolerant and honest.”[14] In post- Apartheid state, South Africa is under a new constitution, which “prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, colour, gender, religion and ethnicity,”[15] The new emphasis on dignity alongside a strong religious community was a huge help to overcoming the pain and loss of the Apartheid.

While South Africa has certainly endured much trouble, it is experiencing a great level of success. As a Christian, I cannot help but attribute the nation’s recovery to God’s favor. I believe The Lord has used religion in a marvelous way to bring healing to a very broken country. I pray that in the future, they will continue to heal and the gospel will always be a bridge builder and source of peace in a country that is just now learning to experience such. While South Africa has a long way to go, it is well on its way to restoring its culture, hope and livelihood.

Pictures: All pictures used in this blog were taken by the writer herself, Hannah Card.

Bibliography

"An Introduction to South Africa." Geographia. Accessed March 8, 2015.  http://www.geographia.com/south-africa/

"Apartheid." History.com. Accessed March 8, 2015. http://www.history.com/topics/apartheid

"Apartheid.”: The Concise Encyclopedia of Economics. Accessed March 8, 2015.                http://www.econlib.org/library/Enc/Apartheid.html

“Country: South Africa.” The Joshua Project. 2015. http://joshuaproject.net/countries/SF

"European Commission Directorate-General for Trade." European Commission-Trade. Accessed   March 8, 2015. http://ec.europa.eu/trade/policy/countries-and-regions/countries/south          africa/

"The Missionaries." South African History Online. Accessed March 8, 2015.            http://www.sahistory.org.za/missionaries

"Resources and Power." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. February 18, 2015. Accessed March 8,2015. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/555568/SouthAfrica/44033/Resource   -andpower

"SouthAfrica.info." South Africa's Geography. June 28, 2012. Accessed March 8, 2015.                http://www.southafrica.info/about/geography/geography.htm#.VLmv-CvF8rU

"Tolerance and Tension: Islam and Christianity in Sub-Saharan Africa." Pew Research Centers Religion Public Life Project RSS. April 14, 2010. Accessed March 8, 2015. http://www.pewforum.org/2010/04/15/executive-summary-islam-and-christianity-in-sub saharan-africa/.

"WCAR: Post-Apartheid South Africa." WCAR: South Africa Your Host. Accessed March 8,     2015. http://www.racism.gov.za/host/pasa.htm.

South Africa Photos. Pictures taken by: Hannah Card.

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[1] N.a., Apartheid, (A&E Networks, 2015).

[2] Ibid.

[3] N.a., Apartheid, (Library of Economics and Liberty, 2015))

[4] N.a., SouthAfrica.info. (South Africa's Geography, 2012).

[5]  N.a., An Introduction to South Africa  (Geographia, 2015)

[6] N.a., Resources and Power, (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2015).

[7] N.a., European Commission Directorate-General for Trade, (European Commission, 2015).

[8] Ibid.

[9] N.a., Resources and Power, (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2015).

[10]Ibid.

[11] N.a., Country: South Africa, (The Joshua Project, 2015).

[12] Ibid.

[13] N.a., The Missionaries, (South African History Online, 2015)

[14] N.a., Tolerance and Tension: Islam and Christianity in Sub-Saharan Africa, (Pew Research Centers, 2010).

[15] N.a., WCAR: Post-Apartheid South Africa, (WCAR: South Africa Your Host, 2015)

South African Boundaries

In recent years, South Africa has been increasingly referred to as "The New South Africa"[1]. This term is in reference to the changes in political and social boundary changes in the last several years, particularly since 1994. The changes in South African boundaries have much to do with the apartheid. "South Africa's apartheid regime used boundary demarcations such as 'homelands' and 'group areas' to maintain and enforce political control by a white elite." [2] After the apartheid, the government had to redistribute "homelands" and land parcels in a more fair and justifiable way.

When these new boundaries were created "only one has posed a problem of national security: the provincial boundaries."[2] South Africa currently has nine systems of provincial government. These divisions are proving to cost a great deal. This cost alongside the continued tension about "boundary disputes left unresolved by the state"[2] created some serious tensions over South African boundaries. 

When South Africa entered the Southern African Development Community, the boundaries were all reorganized. This changed state boundaries and many believe the "New South Africa" has the resources to develop a successful nation-state. Many of the divisions of land were related to political party compromises. Some of these divisions proved to be harmful for national security. The substantial amount of "non-viable provinces" and "years of boundary conflicts"[2] left the infrastructure of the region collapsing. Revenue was draining out of the national government and there were continuing social struggles. 

The new regional boundary changes brought a completely new set of problems. "South Africa's new... boundaries are responses to shifting power relations."[1] New boundaries brought a "new distribution of wealth and power"[1] and will continue to affect South Africa for years to come. The boundary changes are a reflection of power shifts and socio-cultural changes. We have yet to see the true impact of the continued struggle for boundaries and a "New South Africa."


Image retrieved from: http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?pid=S0030-24652013000100002&script=sci_arttext 

Sources Cited:

[1] Griggs, Richard A. "The Boundaries of a New South Africa." January 1, 1995. Accessed February 28, 2015. https://www.dur.ac.uk/resources/ibru/publications/full/bsb2-4_griggs.pdf.

[2] "The Security Costs of Party-Political Boundary Demarcations: The Case of South Africa - African Security Review Vol 7 No 2, 1998." The Security Costs of Party-Political Boundary Demarcations: The Case of South Africa - African Security Review Vol 7 No 2, 1998. Accessed February 28, 2015. http://www.issafrica.org/pubs/ASR/7No2/Griggs.html.

Missions in South Africa

The first missionary to arrive in South Africa was Georg Schmidt, a Moravian man sent in 1737 on behalf of the Protestant Dutch church [1]. He ended up converting and baptizing five locals and leaving a Bible behind for them.

Among first missionaries to the region of South Africa were Europeans. Though the Europeans came to South Africa in the 1800's with good intentions, they did not always understand enough about the local culture to be very effective. The missionaries were often highly culturally insensitive and imposed their own beliefs and culture on the locals rather than seeking to understand and integrate current culture with the belief system.

                                          Image retrieved from:http://www.victorianweb.org/sculpture/mossman/1.html

There is a statue of the famous missionary David Livingstone that "represents the missionary-traveller with a Bible in one hand and the other resting upon an axe"[2]. This mixture of salvation and violence is how many natives perceived missions. As time passed, Christian missionaries learned that they could be far more effective if they introduced practical, helpful skills along with their religious teachings. In Cape Town, they found an outlet for this through farming and were then able to be accepted and share the gospel while teaching practical farming techniques.

There is little information on missionaries from faiths other than Christianity in South Africa, although there is one prominent Jehovah's Witness who came to South Africa. Joseph Booth arrived in Africa in 1892 and established his "Baptist "Zambesi Industrial Mission" near Blantyre in Nyasaland (now Malawi)" [3]. He paid his workers six times more than the government or missions paid and set to sharing his version of the gospel. Jehovah's witnesses still praise him today as a hero of the faith.

Overall, mission work has impacted culture in various ways. It has helped South African trade, developed new farming methods and is credited as the method through which many natives learned to read. Missionaries helped increase education and influenced social attitudes and interactions for peace through the rocky times of the Apartheid and modern violence.



Sources Cited:
[1] "Missionary Heroes of South Africa" http://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1701-1800/missionary-heroes-of-south-africa-11630223.html

[2] "Missionary Settlements in Southern Africa 1800-1925" http://www.sahistory.org.za/missionaries

[3] "Joseph Booth An African Legend" http://users.adam.com.au/bstett/JwJosephBooth.htm

South Africa's "First Contacts"

Most of South Africa's original contacts with other countries came through the slave trade at Cape Town.

Searching for a trade route along the Cape of Good Hope was an important venture for Europeans because trade was less and less beneficial when it took so long to receive the financial return. The first ship to sail around the Cape of Good Hope on their quest east to India and elsewhere sailed in 1487, captained by Bartholomew Diaz. [1] Ten years later Vasco da Gama made a second trip, journeying successfully to India and establishing this trade route.

Picture from: http://www.sahistory.org.za/historical-ships-and-shipwrecks-along-south-african-coast

This flow of ships around the coast occasionally brought visitors to various towns along the coast for supplies, but because the locals were not very welcoming of outsiders, traders generally avoided Africa if possible.

The first permanent trading settlement in South Africa was established by the Dutch. In 1642, the Dutch "built a fort and established a supply station under the command of Jan Van Riebeeck on a site that later became Cape Town."[1] This fort would serve as a stopping point to replenish and rest on the trade route for the Dutch. The dynamic of this small, isolated fort quickly changed when the leaders decided to "allow a group of servants who had worked out their contracts to settle close by as independent farmers and supply the post with their produce."[1] 

With the increased independence of these free servants came a great increase in size of the settlement. A settlement of this growing size was bound to encounter the locals, and that they did, with great intensity. They slaughtered many of the San people in revenge for small disputes.[1] Even more locals were killed by European and Asian disease introduced to the African natives. The most devastating of these diseases was undoubtedly smallpox. 

For the most part, there is very little Asian influence in South Africa. There has always been a limited migration rate between the two countries and until recently with political and financial market involvement, the two nations have had very little interaction. Aside from the occasional trader passing through and bringing disease, Asia has had limited influence in this region.



[1]"Arrival of Europeans in South Africa" http://www.footprinttravelguides.com/africa-middle-east/south-africa/history/arrival-of-europeans-in-south-africa/

Resources and Trade in South Africa

South Africa is a resource rich place! Much of the nation’s economy depends on both global and regional trade of the resources existing in the country. Diamonds, gold, coal and various metals are just a few of the natural resources abounding in the nation.

Much of South Africa’s wealth is in its mining. One major mining export from South Africa is coal. Coal is an enormously valuable export particularly to Europe and Asia as a source for generating electricity. Coal is also the main power source for South Africa’s generation of electricity. South Africa is also “the world’s largest producer of platinum and chromium” and a large producer of diamonds.[1]

Overwhelmingly, however, gold is accepted as the most valuable resource available in South Africa. As a matter of fact, "South Africa is the largest producer of gold" in the world [1]. While the production has decreased in recent years, it is still considered the most important mineral. Many abandoned mines can be seen all over the city of Johannesburg as shown in the picture I took below. Gold production hit its peak in the early 1970s, and centered around the capital city of Johannesburg.[1] In more recent years, gold mining and production has spread and takes place a greater distance from this location and centers around the cities of Klerksdorp and Evander.[1]

African trade routes have always revolved largely around international trade. Because of the need for global trade routes to make a profit from the main export, precious metals, trade routes were arranged to make trade easy with the main international partners: the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Japan.[1] While global trade is huge for the nation, regional trade within the borders is becoming increasingly important in recent years. After the massive international ethnic tensions revolving around the Apartheid, South Africans have chosen to support trade within the borders to grow the local economy.

Works Cited:

[1] "South Africa" http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/555568/South-Africa/44033/Resources-and-power#toc260129  

Religion in South Africa

Religion in South Africa, just like in any other nation, is an integral part of many citizens everyday life. During my time in Johannesburg this summer, I got to experience multiple different church services and styles. I was pleasantly surprised by the passion and variety in many South African churches.

South Africa is often called the "rainbow nation"[1] because of its vast uniqueness and variety and this is true of its religions just as much as any other part. Religious freedom is a constitutionally protected right and the people of South Africa practice many denominations and styles. The main faiths of the region are Christianity, Judaism, Islam, traditional African religions and Hinduism.[1]

Christianity and Islam, in particular, have grown tremendously in the last 100 years! Christianity has increased seventy-fold and Islam twenty- fold. [2] South Africa now houses about 20% of the world's Christians and 15% of the world's Muslims.[2] In general, more Muslims live in the Northern part of Africa with more Christians in the Southern part. According to a recent report "many Africans are deeply committed to Islam or Christianity and yet continue to practice elements of traditional African religions". [2] For many, the tensions between these two religions are seen as reason for much of the violence, while others see the tolerance of differing views as a sign of hope for the future. 

The religious sect unique to this nation is the traditional African religion. This is largely developed by oral story-telling throughout generations. This religion emphasizes community and moral actions. Above and beyond the regular traditions of priests, teachers, and preachers, the African people often attribute power to "mystics" or "sangomas" [1] which are particularly prominent in Zulu tradition. These people are supposed healers who have been chosen by the ancestors as counselors and healers. 

This leads into the great pitfall of traditional African religions which truly breaks my heart. Most African people do not believe that they have direct access to God or their "supreme being" and therefore they put great trust in the ancestors as intercessors. The African people do not live in the freedom and grace that we know to be true which allows us to worship our King directly. Ancestor worship and sacrifices are widely practiced examples of the darkness and bondage that are widely present in African culture. 

I remember far too many times seeing sweet baby goats on the side of the road and asking our driver why they were selling them there, only to discover the people were buying them on the way to the temple to sacrifice. It is my sincere hope and prayer that the African people will be exposed to and accept the gospel. What freedom is found in the knowledge of a personal Savior who already made the ultimate sacrifice on our behalf!

Sources:

[1] "African Traditional Religion" http://www.sahistory.org.za/african-traditional-religion
[2] "Tolerance and Tension: Islam and Christianity in Sub-Saharan Africa" http://www.pewforum.org/2010/04/15/executive-summary-islam-and-christianity-in-sub-saharan-africa/

South African Art

The earliest origins of South African art are cave paintings and hieroglyphics of the early bushmen. These provide the first historical records before the people created written records. The early hunter-gatherers often resided in caves in the mountains of Drakensberg.

The cave paintings and carvings represent the spiritual life and beliefs of the San Bushmen. 

As time went on, colonial art developed that portrayed the world around the around the artists with more detail. The beauty of South African landscape and animals provided an excellent subject matter for the detail of this new art style. The picture below is an example of the more detailed works of this time period.

In more recent eras, art became a medium for the release of emotion. For instance, during the Apartheid in very recent history, artists portrayed their emotion through their works. The piece below for example, uses tranquil colors as a way to seek peace through artistic expression. He also symbolically reveals the emptiness of the land by portraying picturesque landscape, with no people or seeming use of the land. The art of this time period reveals the seeming emptiness of people’s souls. Similar to the American civil war and civil rights movement, South Africa endured a time of tremendous racial tension and hatred throughout the Apartheid. Only very recently has healing begun in the nation between the different people groups. Art has always served as a medium for emotion and the emotion of the different eras is easily seen in the tension and idealism in certain pieces of art throughout the ages.

Art has helped South Africans to find healing and create a world, even if just on paper, where things work in harmony and unity. For many, it provides hope of what may one day be the true reality of this beautiful country. 

Works Cited
"History of South Africa." : South African Art. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Jan. 2015.