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SOUTH AFRICA'S BLACK MIDDLE CLASS HAS MORE THAN DOUBLED IN LESS THAN A DECADE, ACCORDING
TO A NEW STUDY FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN. THIS EMERGING GROUP IS A BOOST TO THE
GROWING ECONOMY, BUT CHALLENGES REMAIN.
VOA'S ANITA POWELL LOOKED INTO THIS STORY, AND TALKED WITH ON ASSIGNMENT'S TODD GROSSHANS.
LET'S START WITH PART OF HER REPORT.
THE CAPE TOWN RESEARCHERS SAID MIDDLE-CLASS HOUSEHOLDS MAKE BETWEEN $1,800 AND $5,500
A MONTH. THABANG RAMOGASE, A MARKETER, SAYS COMPANIES NEED TO UNDERSTAND THIS EMERGING
CLASS BEFORE TRYING TO SELL TO THEM.
"PEOPLE THINK THAT JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE BLACK MIDDLE CLASS, YOUR DESTINATION IS TO BECOME
LIKE WHITE PEOPLE.
THABANG RAMAGASE, WHAT HE TOLD YOU WAS THAT COMPANIES IN SOUTH AFRICA NEED TO UNDERSTAND
HOW TO MARKET TO THE BLACK MIDDLE CLASS. HE DOESN�T THINK THEY�RE GETTING THAT RIGHT.
WHAT DOES HE MEAN BY THAT?
HE LISTED MANY PRESSURES THAT THE BLACK MIDDLE CLASS FACE THAT DON�T EVEN REALLY REGISTER
FOR MEMBERS OF THE WHITE MIDDLE CLASS. FOR EXAMPLE, THE MOST COMMON TYPE OF HOUSEHOLD
IN THE BLACK MIDDLE CLASS IS A MULTI-GENERATIONAL HOUSEHOLD WHEREAS THE MOST COMMON TYPE OF
HOUSEHOLD IN THE WHITE MIDDLE CLASS IS A NUCLEAR FAMILY.
�IF ANYTHING YOU JUST WANT THE STUFF THAT WHITE PEOPLE HAVE, AND SOME OF THAT STUFF,
NOT ALL OF IT AS WELL. THERE�S A LOT OF MIXING AND MATCHING. THERE ARE SOME THINGS
I�LL TAKE AND SOME THINGS I WON�T TAKE AS A BLACK MIDDLE CLASS CONSUMER. THAT�S
THE FIRST THING. SO, DON�T WANT TO BE WHITE.�
HE WAS JUST TRYING TO ILLUSTRATE THAT JUST BECAUSE WE MAY HAVE THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY
BECAUSE WE MAY HAVE SIMILAR EDUCATION, THERE ARE MANY MORE PRESSURES, HE FEELS, ON THE
BLACK MIDDLE CLASS. THERE�S PRESSURE TO HELP YOUR RELATIVES. THERE�S PRESSURE TO
MOVE ONWARD. THERE�S PRESSURE TO MAKE MORE MONEY. I THINK HE�S JUST TRYING TO SAY IF
YOU WANT TO SELL TO THE BLACK MIDDLE CLASS PERHAPS THESE CREATIVE AD AGENCIES WHICH ARE
OVERWHELMINGLY WHITE NEED TO HIRE A FEW SMART, YOUNG, BLACK ADVERTISING WHIZZES AND PUT THEM
TO WORK.
THERE IS STILL A HUGE ECONOMIC DISPARITY IN THE COUNTRY. THERE�S THIS SMALL, AND I MEAN
SMALL BLACK MIDDLE CLASS THAT�S ACTUALLY DOING QUITE WELL CONSIDERING. THEN THERE�S
A HUGE AMOUNT OF VERY POOR PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTRY. AND THEN THERE�S THAT SLIVER OF
EXTREMELY WEALTHY. IS THERE SOME CLASS RESENTMENT ESPECIALLY BETWEEN THIS EMERGING BLACK MIDDLE
CLASS AND THE POORER CLASSES IN SOUTH AFRICA?
IT�S REALLY FUNNY THAT YOU ASK THAT. THIS IS A VERY PECULIAR THING TO SOUTH AFRICA.
I DON�T FEEL THAT THERE IS RESENTMENT BETWEEN THE POOR INDIGENT WORKING CLASS BLACK SOUTH
AFRICANS AND THE MIDDLE CLASS SOUTH AFRICANS AND THAT IS BECAUSE OF SOMETHING THAT WE WERE
TALKING ABOUT EARLIER AND THAT IS CREDIT. WITH THE AVAILABILITY OF CREDIT AND NOW WITH
THE LACK OF AVAILABILITY OF CREDIT MANY BLACK MIDDLE CLASS SOUTH AFRICANS HAVE ELECTED NOT
TO MOVE. SO MANY OF THEM ARE LIVING IN COMMUNITIES THAT ARE REGARDED AS WORKING POOR AND EVEN
POOR COMMUNITIES BECAUSE THEY REALIZE THEY CAN GET MORE *** FOR THEIR BUCK. THEY DON�T
HAVE TO GET AN EXPENSIVE HOME LOAN AND THEY CAN STILL HAVE A BMW, STILL HAVE SATELLITE
TELEVISION, STILL HAVE AN IPHONE AND SO ON AND SO FORTH. SO REALLY THEY�RE LIVING AMONG
EVERYBODY THEY USED TO KNOW AND THE COMMUNITIES ARE QUITE MIXED.
�I JUST STARTED TO WORK HARD YOU KNOW, BASICALLY TO HAVE THE SORT OF VALUES THAT WILL SEE YOU
PUTTING YOUR NOSE TO THE GRINDSTONE, GIVING YOUR BEST, THAT SORT OF THING.�
THEIR NEIGHBORS SEE THAT AND SAY GEE I COULD HAVE A MERCEDES MAYBE IF I MAKE SURE MY DAUGHTER
GOES TO COLLEGE. SO I DON�T THINK THERE�S RESENTMENT THERE. WHERE I THINK THERE IS BOTH
RESENTMENT AND ADMIRATION IS BETWEEN THE LOWER MIDDLE, LOWER AND MIDDLE CLASSES AND THE ELITE
IN SOUTH AFRICA. THERE�S DEFINITELY A PERCEPTION AND IT�S GROUNDED IN FACT SOME OF THE RICHER
SOUTH AFRICANS, WE�RE NOT NAMING NAMES HERE BUT SOME OF THE WEALTHIER SOUTH AFRICANS MAY
HAVE GOTTEN THERE THROUGH UNSAVORY MEANS. CORRUPTION IS VERY BIG IN THIS COUNTRY.
MANY SOUTH AFRICANS STILL LIVE IN CRUSHING POVERTY. AND SOME NEW MEMBERS OF THE MIDDLE
CLASS SAY THEY'RE ALREADY DISILLUSIONED WITH THEIR GOVERNMENT.
"IT ENCOURAGES PEOPLE TO BE CORRUPT. IT DOESN'T ENCOURAGE MIDDLE CLASS. IT DOESN'T ENCOURAGE
PEOPLE TO WORK. BECAUSE, THE MORE YOU WORK, THE MORE YOU GET TAXED."
HOWEVER, OTHER UP-AND-COMING BLACK SOUTH AFRICANS LIKE ADVERTISING ACCOUNT MANAGER BELINDA MANGILA
SAY THEY�RE OPTIMISTIC.
"I THINK WE STILL HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO. AND I THINK THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT FOR ANYONE IN
THIS COUNTRY".
ONE REALLY INTERESTING THING THAT THE RESEARCHERS AT UCT TOLD ME WAS THAT WHEN THEY STARTED
DOING THEIR RESEARCH ON THE BLACK MIDDLE CLASS THE AFRICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS, THAT�S THE
RULING PARTY IN SOUTH AFRICA, WAS NOT REALLY KEEN ON THIS DEMOGRAPHIC. DIDN�T SUPPORT
THEIR RESEARCH. I BELIEVE THEY INSULTED THEIR RESEARCH IN SOME PUBLICATION. AND NOW WITH
THE RELEASE OF THIS LATEST REPORT EIGHT YEARS LATER THE ANC PUT OUT A STATEMENT SAYING WE�RE
SO GLAD THE BLACK MIDDLE CLASS IS GETTING BIGGER. AND THIS IS BECAUSE THE ANC REALIZES
THAT THEY NEED THIS DEMOGRAPHIC. THIS IS A LITERATE, EDUCATED, FAIRLY AFFLUENT DEMOGRAPHIC
AND THEY NEED THEM.
VOA'S ANITA POWELL IN JOHANNESBURG. ANITA REPORTS THAT DESPITE RECENT GAINS, SOME 4
AND A HALF MILLION SOUTH AFRICANS ARE STILL OUT OF WORK ... A WHOPPING 25 PERCENT OF WORKERS...
PLACING SOUTH AFRICA IN THE TOP 30 COUNTRIES WITH THE HIGHEST UNEMPLOYMENT.