From indentured labour to leadership

ECONOMIC INEQUALITY

- 

OUR forefathers laid the foundation on which every opportunity we enjoy today stands. When the first indentured Indians arrived in 1860, they faced harsh working conditions, poverty and social exclusion, yet they carried with them a powerful spirit of resilience.

Their sacrifices were physical, emotional and cultural. They preserved language, faith, family values and community discipline despite being removed from their homes and villages in selected Indian states.

Through hard work in agriculture, trading and later in emerging industries, they created micro-economies that uplifted entire communities.

Beyond labour, they laid down a moral blueprint of dignity, unity and social justice through early political protests. Their commitment to self-funded education ensured that later generations were not trapped in the same cycles of hardship.

Their involvement in early activism, religious institutions, sports bodies, civic and education structures built the social capital that allowed descendants to enter professional fields. Their perseverance gave rise to generations who have taken their rightful place in South Africa’s political, economic and civic life.

Today, Indian South Africans in leadership positions are a direct extension of their courage. Our forefathers gave us the tools, identity and confidence to strive beyond survival and claim meaningful spaces in our democratic society.

South African Indians have travelled an extraordinary journey over 165 years from indentured labourers with no rights to influential leaders in government, business, academia and civil society.