South Africa ‘among the most unequal countries in the world’

Black South Africans earn on average three times less than their white counterparts, a report into inequality in South Africa has found.

It said that the average monthly salary among black people – who account for 80% of the population – was 6,899 rand ($466,90; £362,60) while the figure was 24,646 rand ($1667,95; £1295,35) for white people.

The report also highlighted how different racial groups are distributed through different social classes.

The Inequality Trends report used data collected by the country’s official statistics agency, Stats SA, from 2002 until 2017 which showed black people fared worse in terms of unemployment, access to private medical care, housing and electricity.

It also showed that South Africa has one of the highest levels of inequality in the world.

It’s the country’s first comprehensive look at the trends around what is often a thorny issue.

One of the main reasons for the huge economic disparities between races is a legacy of apartheid – a system which ensured that the white minority population had access to the best the country could offer.

Aerial images by drone photographer Johnny Miller revealed in 2018 the dramatic divide between rich and poor in cities in South Africa, including this golf course next to high density housing in Durban.