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Overcoming the Legacy of Apartheid

South Africa is Africa’s second largest economy, however the World Bank reports that the overall unemployment rate remains high at 27 percent, and it is even higher for youth at around 55 percent. South Africa still has one of highest inequality rates in the world. According to the World Bank, the richest 10 percent of the population holds 71 percent of net wealth in the country.

Intergenerational mobility is also low, meaning inequality is passed down from one generation to another, and there has been little change in inequality over time.

In South Africa, it has been more than two decades since the end of the apartheid in 1994 and the country has seen many improvements. The country boasts a total of 11 official languages, with at least 35 indigenous languages total.

Statistics South Africa shows that the most common first language is isiZulu, spoken by 25 percent of South Africans. English is only spoken by 8 percent of South Africans, making it the sixth most common language.

Our Work in South Africa

Room to Read introduced our Literacy Program in South Africa in 2006. Our program aligns with the need and government’s focus on teacher training, instruction techniques, assessments and reading materials.