nicole kotras masters thesis

Figure 1
Population of South Africa by race
The 1995 October Household survey (OHS) indicated that 50% of the entire South
African population live in urban areas, and 50% live in rural areas, in all nine provinces that
constitute the country. Although half of the population live in rural areas, the distribution of
people in urban and rural areas varies according to race. Almost two-thirds (63%) of the
Black population live in rural areas as opposed to a far smaller proportion of Coloureds
(16%), Indians (5%) and Whites (9%). Approximately 3.3 million children under the age of 5
years are living in the homelands. These children are especially deprived, due to the fact
that education, health, and welfare services in these areas, tend to be weaker than in the
rest of South Africa.
The extent of underdevelopment that the Black population of South Africa endured
under apartheid, is clear when one looks at the age distribution of the South African
population by age and gender. The distribution by age amongst Blacks, resembles the
typical age-pyramid of developing countries. A large proportion of people are infants and
young children, while among those aged 15 years and older, the proportion of people in
each age category steadily decreases. Among Coloureds and Indians, statistics indicate
that a transition profile of age distribution is emerging. The findings portray a situation which
is somewhere between developing and developed countries. Among Whites, the findings
indicate a profile which is typical of industrialized countries. There are proportionately fewer
infants, pre-school children and children of school going age, compared to other population
groups, while the proportion of older children is increasing. In other words, South Africa has
a relatively young and expanding Black population, compared with the Coloured and Indian
populations, and an ageing, shrinking White population (Development Bank of South Africa,
1995).
Coloureds
9%
Indians
3%
Blacks
75%
Whites
13%
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