South Africa’s Emerging Middle Class by Ayana Haaruun
January 17, 2008
Back in Johannesburg, I spent the weekend amongst South Africa’s black professionals—a world different from the dusty roads, uniformed laborers and domestic workers that fill my rural area. As a result of South Africa’s favorable political and economic climate, it’s also a hub for Africans from many nations who emigrate in search of increased opportunity.
I began the weekend at my Nigerian friend’s home in Sandton, a hip and affluent suburb outside Johannesburg. Since I don’t have a television, I was eager to catch up on world affairs watching his plasma screen while tasting South Africa wine from his wine cellar.
By evening, we visited Nelson Mandela Square, a popular, “Jo’burg” hangout. Starved for American media, I saw a Tyler Perry film at a nearby movie theatre, before having dinner at a crowded, outdoor restaurant. Feeling as if I was back to “civilization” from “the bush”, I relished in the city lights and familiar urban energy.
At the restaurant, I watched well-dressed, multi-racial diners enjoy cocktails, cuisine and conversation. Surrounding by blacks dressed in Western business attire and designer clothing, the new “buppies” (black up-and-coming professionals) were evidence of South Africa’s emerging black middle-class.
The next morning, I was pleased to see a capable orthodontist who fixed my very neglected braces. With dental woes behind me, I spent the afternoon alone perusing the shopping mall and public library. While having lunch outdoors at a swanky Sushi restaurant, I watched attractive, stylish black women scurrying to and from the shopping mall. At the restaurant, I thought to myself, “this is the life.” First World comforts, African people, and warm weather make Johannesburg an attractive city.
Later the same evening, I met up with a young, black South African woman introduced to me by a close American friend. A television and film producer, she took me to the television production office where she works. Located in an area considered a small “Hollywood”, Johannesburg is also home to a thriving entertainment industry.
At her cozy home on the edge of the city, I met her partner, a super-cool black South African woman. I was surprised to learn in South Africa, marriage is broadly defined. The first African country to legalize same-sex marriage, the rights of gays and lesbians are protected under South Africa’s new constitution. In addition, it’s legal for men married under tribal law to take more than one wife, if the first wife agrees.
The next day, we filled the “cooler box” with drinks and food and headed to a braii (barbeque). Hosted by an interracial couple, I sat outside their two-story home, mingling with film and television professionals. As more multi-racial couples arrived, I watched children of all shades play in an inflated castle in the backyard. It was astonishing to consider that until apartheid’s end in 1994, people were arrested for interracial dating. Marrying a person of another race was illegal, “whites only” signs filled public places, and blacks weren’t allowed to live outside designated “homelands”, let alone the neighborhood where I was enjoying a carefree afternoon.
After the barbeque, we headed to a “rocking” house party in Soweto, a black township outside Johannesburg. Outside the home, fashionable young men stood near luxury cars. After helping lug the “cooler box” into the ranch-style home, I noticed the guests inside were black, Indian and even white. I thought to myself, “Isn’t Soweto the ‘hood?” Apparently, in Soweto and other black townships, luxury cars and white people are no longer a rarity. With rising real estate values, Soweto is becoming a hip, historic community and a popular choice for Johannesburg’s “buppies.”
After sundown, Indian food was served, the DJ commenced, and more blacks arrived to the party. In the crowded side yard, I listened to house music for hours. One thing I’ve noticed—black South Africans party hard. I had so much fun and was so exhausted— I had to take a nap in the car.
I’ve been lucky to witness black empowerment in post-apartheid South Africa first hand. The ANC government’s efforts to “repay” the black majority through equal opportunity seem to be trickling down. Although wealth is still largely uneven, I see increasing examples of economic promise. Even in my gated condo-complex in a rural white town—I now have a black neighbor. As I write outside on my balcony, I’m watching my new neighbor and her black friends invade the swimming pool—a clear sign that a change has come.
