PEOPLE OF SOUTH AFRICA
The 'rainbow nation' is a fascinating fusion of cultures that form a unique community.
While the apartheid-era racial classifications are no longer the basis of official discrimination, they still form a part of social identity. Around 80% of the population is African, 9% is White, 9% is Coloured and 2% is Asian.
With eleven official languages, South Africa is home to many different African ethnic groupings. The largest and best-known group are the Zulu, famous for their 1879 clash with the British, their more recent political pushes through the Inkatha Freedom Party and their evocative music. The second-largest group are the Xhosa, who include many influential figures in business and politics, including Nelson Mandela. Other groups you may meet on your South African tour include the Basotho, Swazi, Tswana and Ndebele, all with their own distinct language and vibrant culture.
The White population includes both Afrikaans-speaking descendants from the Dutch colonial period and English-speaking groups that arrived from the 1820s. Afrikaners have a strong community identity, often centred on the Dutch Reformed Church, while the English-speaking community is more disparate.
South Africa's Coloured community includes people of mixed race, the majority of whom speak Afrikaans. They can trace their roots to many groups, including slaves from central and east Africa, White settlers and indigenous Khoisan people. A major subgroup are the Cape Malays, a Muslim community whose ancestors came from India, Indonesia and East Africa.
The country is also home to a large population of Asians, mostly Indians who came to the country in the late 19th century as indentured labourers or merchants. They've brought the colour of Hindu temples to the streets of KwaZulu-Natal, and spicy curry flavours to South African cuisine, which you can sample on your South African tour.
In the post-apartheid era, South Africa is making headway in overcoming its social divisions and building a united country. The challenges for the future include HIV/AIDS, poverty and unemployment. While these are huge problems to overcome, most South Africans believe that the situation is improving every day. Tourism is one of the country's most important industries, providing jobs and an incentive to protect threatened wildlife and preserve natural environments.
