From 1994 to 2026: Hard-won gains and the long road to economic justice

By Kenny Morolong

South Africa in 2026 is a far cry from the country before 1994.  Things such as human rights for all which now stand as one of the pillars of our democracy were unheard of for the majority. The apartheid state systematically worked to deprive black people, and enforced laws to maintain the status quo of white dominance throughout society.

This is the reality that faced the first democratic administration in 1994, and all subsequent ones. Despite the entrenched and stubborn inequality, there has been notable progress to the lived reality of black South Africans.

Of course, some continue to peddle the notion that necessary instruments of change such as Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) have benefited only a few and that it has inhibited economic growth or enabled corruption.

Instead, the opposite is true, and empirical evidence demonstrates real changes in ownership patterns, enterprise supplier development, management control, enterprise and skills development.

Data from Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) confirms that between 2006 and 2023, black African households experienced real income growth of 46%, coloured households 29% and Indian households 19%. The level of poverty in the Black African population fell from 67% in 2006 to 44% in 2023 while the level of poverty in the coloured population fell from 43% to 25% over the same period.

These findings are further backed up by statistics from the University of Cape Town’s Liberty Institute of Strategic Marketing, which demonstrates the proportion of black households earning more than R75 000 a month climbed to 41% in 2024 from 29% in 2012.

The number of Black South Africans in middle-and upper-income brackets, earning more than R22 000 a month, quadrupled to more than 7 million in 2024.  Overall, the total number of people in those income groups rose from approximately 4 million to more than 11 million, between 2012 and 2024.

This has not happened by chance, but rather because of necessary interventions aimed at levelling a very distorted playing field.  Of course, some will cry foul and decry change as an anathema, firmly entrenched in the belief that democracy like a magic wand erased all the ills of the past.  

Our democratic breakthrough in 1994 allowed us to dream of a better tomorrow for all. But the shared future we all want will not simply arrive, it requires hard work and necessary sacrifices.  

The annual commemoration of Human Rights Month in March is a reminder that we live in a country where all citizens, including those historically marginalised enjoy equal human rights and access to equal opportunities. This includes us working to heal the divisions of the past, redress systemic inequalities and overcome the injustices of apartheid through a rights-based governance approach.

For those who belittle our push for change, it is probably an uncomfortable truth that despite notable progress, research from Stats SA shows that the average income of white households remains nearly five times higher than that of black households.  

Perhaps this sobering truth will give pause and allow for greater reflection of what still needs to be done. Interventions such as the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention (PYEI) are helping to provide real hope. Currently more than 5.77 million young people are registered on SA Youth, and over 4.8 million on Employment Services of South Africa. The PYEI has facilitated access to over 2.36 million earning opportunities, with an additional 402,515 opportunities through the Employment Services of South Africa (ESSA) since inception.

These are not just job opportunities, this is a nation at work, harnessing the potential of young people. Every job opportunity and training intervention helps to unlock greater wealth for all in our nation.  By working together, we can give life to the South Africa we all desired in 1994 and ensure a better tomorrow for all.

*Morolong is the Deputy Minister in the Presidency