Soaring black elite deepens South Africa's post apartheid inequality

Rising fortunes for a few contrast sharply with the daily struggles of the majority

- MANYANE MANYANE

CONTRASTING REALITIES: A panoramic view of uMhlanga, one of Durban's affluent suburbs, stands in stark contrast to informal settlements near the Durban CBD, highlighting South Africa's persistent inequality.

(Supplied Independent Newspapers Archives)

DESPITE significant policy interventions since the end of apartheid, South Africa remains one of the most unequal countries in the world, with the legacy of racial discrimination continuing to drive extreme disparities in income and wealth.

This is according to the latest 2025-27 paper on Racial Inequality and Redistribution in Post-Apartheid South Africa, which shows that while the post-apartheid government has implemented various redistribution policies, these have limited success in narrowing the overall wealth gap and have led to rising inequality within racial groups, particularly among Black South Africans.

This study has been published ahead of the international launch of the World Inequality Report 2026, which is expected to be released tomorrow.

The study was conducted by researchers Léo Czajka and Amory Gethin.

Czajka is a postdoctoral researcher at the EU (European Union) Tax Observatory, which is established at the Paris School of Economics (PSE). His work focuses on topics such as tax enforcement and inequality in lowand middle-income countries.

Gethin is a key researcher at the World Inequality Lab hosted by the Paris School of Economics.

His research focuses on the intersection of economic inequality, public policies, and political change in contemporary democracies.