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Poverty and inequality in South Africa: critical reflections

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  • David Francis
  • Edward Webster

Abstract

South Africa is a paradox; on the one hand, it is one of the most unequal countries in the world. Half of all South Africans continue to live in poverty, economic growth has stagnated and inflation remains high, while the unemployment rate continues to climb towards 30%. On the other hand, it has one of the most progressive constitutions in the world, with a bill of rights that foregrounds expanded socioeconomic rights. We provide an overview of the latest statistics on poverty and inequality in light of overarching economic policies, and the socioeconomic guarantees of the Constitution. We argue that South Africa’s inability to meaningfully address the high levels of inequality is due to insufficient attention to the way power reproduces inequality. We present a definition of power that includes social and market power, and emphasise the importance of a theory of power in understanding the reproduction of inequality.

Suggested Citation

  • David Francis & Edward Webster, 2019. "Poverty and inequality in South Africa: critical reflections," Development Southern Africa, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 36(6), pages 788-802, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:deveza:v:36:y:2019:i:6:p:788-802
    DOI: 10.1080/0376835X.2019.1666703
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    1. Sobratee, N. & Davids, R. & Chinzila, C. B. & Mabhaudhi, Tafadzwanashe & Scheelbeek, P. & Modi, A. T. & Dangour, A. D. & Slotow, R., 2022. "Visioning a food system for an equitable transition towards sustainable diets—a South African perspective," Papers published in Journals (Open Access), International Water Management Institute, pages 1-14(6):328.
    2. Calvin Mudzingiri & Gibson Mudiriza & Getrude Jana & Regret Sunge, 2024. "The effect of local climatic conditions on household consumption: a case study of South Africa," Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-16, December.
    3. Doctor S. Nkosi & Thembani Moyo & Innocent Musonda, 2022. "Unlocking Land for Urban Agriculture: Lessons from Marginalised Areas in Johannesburg, South Africa," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-17, October.
    4. Loss, Georg & Naicker, Sara & Richter, Linda & Fink, Günther, 2024. "Early life determinants of social disparities among young adults: A longitudinal study in vulnerable communities in South Africa," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 175(C).
    5. Kgomotlokoa Linda, 2024. "Examining the level of Entrepreneurship education and development within the South African higher education: Towards entrepreneurial university," International Journal of Research in Business and Social Science (2147-4478), Center for the Strategic Studies in Business and Finance, vol. 13(5), pages 794-802, July.
    6. Eleanor Beth Whyle & Jill Olivier, 2024. "Health system reform and path-dependency: how ideas constrained change in South Africa’s national health insurance policy process," Policy Sciences, Springer;Society of Policy Sciences, vol. 57(3), pages 663-690, September.
    7. Kohnert, Dirk, 2025. "The Inequality Trap: Why Sub-Saharan Africa Struggles to Escape Poverty," MPRA Paper 125930, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    8. Paul Oluwatosin Bello & Adewale A. Olutola, 2022. "Effective Response to Human Trafficking in South Africa: Law as a Toothless Bulldog," SAGE Open, , vol. 12(1), pages 21582440211, January.
    9. Jiang, Ping-Chuan, 2024. "National ESG index update: An assessment of the G20 countries," Innovation and Green Development, Elsevier, vol. 3(2).
    10. Obse, Amarech & Cleary, Susan & Jacobs, Rowena & Myers, Bronwyn, 2025. "Socioeconomic inequality in the outcomes of a psychological intervention for depression for South Africans with a co-occurring chronic disease: A decomposition analysis," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 366(C).
    11. Odile Mackett, 2022. "Decent Work in the South African Macroeconomy: Who are The Winners and Losers?," Humanistic Management Journal, Springer, vol. 7(2), pages 277-305, October.
    12. Nafiisa Sobratee & Rashieda Davids & Chuma B. Chinzila & Tafadzwanashe Mabhaudhi & Pauline Scheelbeek & Albert T. Modi & Alan D. Dangour & Rob Slotow, 2022. "Visioning a Food System for an Equitable Transition towards Sustainable Diets—A South African Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-23, March.
    13. Umakrishnan Kollamparambil & Mlungisi Ndlovu, 2023. "Assessing the Income and Subjective Wellbeing Relationship Across Sub-national Developmental Contexts," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 24(2), pages 769-790, February.
    14. Fabio Gaetano Santeramo & Lerato Phali, 2023. "On the impact of provincial development policies in South Africa," Development Southern Africa, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 40(6), pages 1137-1152, November.
    15. Adediran, Olanrewaju Adewole, 2024. "The effect of women's decision-making on child nutritional outcomes in South Africa," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 53(C).
    16. Frederik Booysen & Ferdi Botha & Sevias Guvuriro, 2022. "Intermarriage on Subjective Social Status and Spousal Dissimilarity in Life Satisfaction of Co-resident Heterosexual South African Couples," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 23(6), pages 2635-2662, August.
    17. Alf Gunvald Nilsen, 2021. "Give James Ferguson a Fish," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 52(1), pages 3-25, January.
    18. Trafford, Zara, 2025. "The constructive power of informality? Relationships, emotion, and empathy in the administration of social assistance for childhood disability in South Africa," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 380(C).
    19. Koch, Steven F. & Nkuna, Blessings & Ye, Yuxiang, 2024. "Income elasticity of residential electricity consumption in rural South Africa," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 131(C).
    20. Frederich Kirsten & Ilse Botha & Mduduzi Biyase & Marinda Pretorius, 2023. "Determinants of Subjective Social Status in South Africa," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 168(1), pages 1-24, August.
    21. Ka Muzombo Kandolo & Thabiso Sthembiso Msomi, 2024. "Exploring entrepreneurial skills of DR Congolese refugee women through economic growth in Durban, South Africa," International Journal of Research in Business and Social Science (2147-4478), Center for the Strategic Studies in Business and Finance, vol. 13(7), pages 01-17, October.
    22. Malkamäki, Arttu & Ylä-Anttila, Tuomas & Brockhaus, Maria & Toppinen, Anne & Wagner, Paul M., 2021. "Unity in diversity? When advocacy coalitions and policy beliefs grow trees in South Africa," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    23. Molepo, Nonkosazana & Molepo, Nkoti Solly, . "Household and contextual indicators of poverty in the Gauteng province of South Africa: a multilevel analysis," Journal of Agribusiness and Rural Development, University of Life Sciences, Poznan, Poland, vol. 66(4).
    24. Godswill Osuma & Ntokozo Nzimande, 2025. "Examining the Misery Index and Its Effects on Economic Inequality and Social Welfare in Sub-Saharan Africa: The Moderating Role of Corruption," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(6), pages 1-18, March.

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