IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/rbs/ijbrss/v14y2025i7p447-453.html

Grassroots Activism in shaping Modern Social Movements in South Africa: An analysis of Cycles of Protest Theory, from apartheid to post-apartheid

Author

Listed:
  • Bernard Nthambeleni

    (University of Venda)

Abstract

This paper analyses the influence of grassroots action on contemporary social movements in South Africa via the lens of protest cycle theory. It examines critical movements such as anti-apartheid activism, labour strikes, and contemporary grassroots initiatives, asserting that social movements are influenced by political, economic, and social factors, including state repression, socio-economic disparities, and civil society. The paper conducts a qualitative examination of movement trajectories, identifying specific mobilisation periods and external elements such as organisational structures, leadership, and local conditions. It demonstrates that cycles of protest signify societal tensions and the persistent quest for justice and equality in South Africa. The results enhance the comprehension of social movements in the Global South and underscore the significance of contextualised analysis in the examination of collective action. Key Words: Social Movements; Cycle of Protest; Civic Organisations; Collective Action; Civil Society; Grassroots Organisations; Democracy; Apartheid Regime; South Africa; Global South

Suggested Citation

  • Bernard Nthambeleni, 2025. "Grassroots Activism in shaping Modern Social Movements in South Africa: An analysis of Cycles of Protest Theory, from apartheid to post-apartheid," International Journal of Research in Business and Social Science (2147-4478), Center for the Strategic Studies in Business and Finance, vol. 14(7), pages 447-453, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:rbs:ijbrss:v:14:y:2025:i:7:p:447-453
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://ssbfnet.com/ojs/index.php/ijrbs/article/view/4378
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://ssbfnet.com/ojs/index.php/ijrbs/article/view/4378
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sidney Tarrow, 1993. "Modular Collective Action and the Rise of the Social Movement: Why the French Revolution was Not Enough," Politics & Society, , vol. 21(1), pages 69-90, March.
    2. Peter Alexander, 2010. "Rebellion of the poor: South Africa's service delivery protests -- a preliminary analysis," Review of African Political Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 37(123), pages 25-40, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Tina Fransman, 2021. "Voting and protest tendencies associated with changes in service delivery," Working Papers 08/2021, Stellenbosch University, Department of Economics.
    2. Edward Webster & Katherine Joynt & Thabang Sefalafala, 2016. "Informalization and decent work: Labour’s challenge," Progress in Development Studies, , vol. 16(2), pages 203-218, April.
    3. Mathilde Lind Gustavussen, 2025. "Leveraging the collective: Contesting California’s corporate landlords through multibuilding organising," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 62(16), pages 3129-3147, December.
    4. Ronelle Burger & Megan Louw & Brigitte Barbara Isabel de Oliveira Pegado & Servaas van der Berg, 2015. "Understanding consumption patterns of the established and emerging South African black middle class," Development Southern Africa, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 32(1), pages 41-56, January.
    5. Abraham Klaasen, 2020. "The quest for socio‐economic rights: The rule of law and violent protest in South Africa," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 28(3), pages 478-484, May.
    6. Rapatsa Mashele, 2017. "Student Activists or Student Anarchists? South Africa’s Contemporary Student Protests Reviewed," European Review of Applied Sociology, Sciendo, vol. 10(15), pages 13-20, December.
    7. Antje Daniel, 2023. "Housing as a Battlefield Between Self‐Organization and Resistance: The Case of Reclaim the City," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 11(2), pages 326-335.
    8. Luiz, John M. & Barnard, Helena, 2022. "Home country (in)stability and the locational portfolio construction of emerging market multinational enterprises," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 151(C), pages 17-32.
    9. Andrew Enaifoghe & Nduduzo Ndebele, 2023. "Examining the barriers to the adoption and integration of information communication technologies as e-Government in Africa," International Journal of Research in Business and Social Science (2147-4478), Center for the Strategic Studies in Business and Finance, vol. 12(7), pages 383-393, October.
    10. Michael Neocosmos, 2016. "The Sociology of Crisis and the Crisis of Sociology: Academic Marxism and the Absence of a Thought of Politics in South Africa," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 47(1), pages 188-202, January.
    11. Sophie Oldfield, 2015. "Between activism and the academy: The urban as political terrain," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 52(11), pages 2072-2086, August.
    12. Tobias Lechtenfeld & Asmus Zoch, 2014. "Income Convergence in South Africa: Fact or Measurement Error?," Courant Research Centre: Poverty, Equity and Growth - Discussion Papers 157, Courant Research Centre PEG.
    13. Katariina Mustasilta, 2021. "The implications of traditional authority contest for local-level stability – Evidence from South Africa," Conflict Management and Peace Science, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 38(4), pages 457-480, July.
    14. John Mamokhere & France Khutso Lavhelani Kgobe, 2023. "Service Delivery Protests In South African Municipalities: Trends, Factors, Impacts And Recommendations," Social Sciences and Education Research Review, Department of Communication, Journalism and Education Sciences, University of Craiova, vol. 10(2), pages 49-59, December.
    15. Patricia Justino & Bruno Martorano, 2019. "Redistributive Preferences and Protests in Latin America," Journal of Conflict Resolution, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 63(9), pages 2128-2154, October.
    16. Nick Bernards, 2018. "The Truncated Commercialization of Microinsurance and the Limits of Neoliberalism," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 49(6), pages 1447-1470, November.
    17. Thabang Motswaledi & Jonathan Oshupeng Maseng, 2024. "Examining the impact of political patronage on the efficacy of SAA in executing its mandate," International Journal of Research in Business and Social Science (2147-4478), Center for the Strategic Studies in Business and Finance, vol. 13(2), pages 239-245, March.
    18. Angeline Ngcobo & Sbonelo Chamane & Mfundo Masuku & Ernest Khalema & Musawenkosi Mabaso & Sinothando Dlamini & Kwandokuhle Shabalala, 2025. "Evaluating community trust in the South African government: An analysis of community perceptions," International Journal of Research in Business and Social Science (2147-4478), Center for the Strategic Studies in Business and Finance, vol. 14(7), pages 473-486, November.
    19. Antje Daniel, 2023. "Housing as a Battlefield Between Self‐Organization and Resistance: The Case of Reclaim the City," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 11(2), pages 326-335.
    20. Sarah Day & Mohamed Seedat & Josephine Cornell & Shahnaaz Suffla, 2019. "A multimodal reading of public protests," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 37(6), pages 1005-1023, September.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:rbs:ijbrss:v:14:y:2025:i:7:p:447-453. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Umit Hacioglu (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/ssbffea.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.