A Scandal

Young, middle class and black

JOHANNESBURG – In the last eight years, South Africa's 'Black Diamonds' doubled from 8% to 16% of this population segment, and their spending power to a whopping R400 billion.

This was revealed in the latest UCT Unilever Institute report entitled 'Four Million and Rising.' To be tagged with the term first coined by the institute in 2005, Black Diamonds must earn between R16 000 and R50 000 per month, have a tertiary qualification, a white-collar job (probably working in government) and be under the age of 44.

In 2004, 1.6 million black people were part of the middle class comprising five million people. In 2012 this number skyrocketed to 4.2 million – a 240% growth in the middle class segment.

According to the research report, the average personal disposable income of the black middle class stands at R8 191, with household income standing at R22 634.

Since 2004, disposable household income has increased by 35% for the black middle class, while white household disposable income grew by 10%, although the former is off a lower base. The spending power of the white middle class is estimated at R380 billion.

The growth of the middle class has been fuelled by access to higher education, and nearly half of those who participated in the study had some form of tertiary education. Less than 14% of black participants did not have a matric certificate. Access to credit, BEE and economic growth has also contributed to the increase of the black middle class.

According to the researchers, what makes the black middle class group unique, is that it is fuelled by the high number of individuals who are employed by the state: 40% of skilled black people work in government as opposed to 13% white skilled individuals.

Illana Meltzer, Eighty20 Consulting co-founder, said this is unlike the global trend where the private sector fuels middle income growth. The black South African middle class is also younger, compared with much older white middle class.

The participants defined middle class as having a car, being able to pay off debt, having disposable income, living in the suburbs, shopping at malls, sending children to good schools (private or ex-model C schools) , access to the internet, financial stability and having DStv.

Thabang Ramogase, co-founder of Brandswell, said that the growth of the black middle class is not a linear story, it is complex. For example, the ‘aspirational middle class’ earning between R10 000 and R16 000 per month mimics the middle class’s spending patterns.

Ramogase added that the black middle class should be understood as a heterogeneous group and not a homogenous one.

So I guess the above people dont contribute nothing to the tax system. Not only the "Whitey" pays tax !!!!

Hi easy,

I am now convinced that you are totally out of touch with the African reality and totally out of touch with the average "Whitey" South African buying power...

I can assure you that the average South African cannot afford R 500.00/month towards the slush fund you would like to have in place.

These comments of mine, which by the way are facts, may not be in line with your altruistic ideals, but is the reality nonetheless.

I am glad that you not out of touch with humanity though.

Speculator

Then the casinos must have been an optical illusion and the packed coffee shops a figment of my imagination, never mind he rammed ocean baskets....

The time when we wanted to get the clinic off the ground, a quotation we had for the clinic stand was circa R120 000.00.
Province the took over the project and I believe was prepared to pay 3-4times more from their own supplier!

This is one reason why I have decided to do something and have joined SA First!

There are decision-makers who don't know their nose from their backsides.... and the Treasury is deemed to be a sluice gate!

People! we need your support for once!

Only thing i have had to worry about in the UK(financially) is a new set of teeth( and they are on order now) but i must say the treatment we get is not the best

South Africa was during the 50's, 60's and 70's one of the richest countries in the world. They had a strong first world component, strong middle class and low cost labour (100% employment, cheap food, cheap fuel, housing was build at a rate unsurpassed in Africa, one of the best rail systems in the world, cheap transport, all the people in South Africa had the best medical facilities no private institutions was even needed). Look what the ANC has done in 20 years everything is starting to collapse. Just as China and India has now. Each ethnic group had their schools in their own language just as in Britain, France, India (they had to cut India in half to accommodate religious diversity that is apartheid); China is also divided according the ethnic and religious differences. The land the African/Blacks received for the 9 ethnic groups in South Africa were all bigger than Belgian, they got the best Universities, schools, development programs, but no they always found a problem just as now in Kenya the British caused their problems, and in South Africa when the ANC is stealing the country to its knees it is the problem of apartheid. No economy can grow with a mafia running the country. You have 65 million people in South Africa (12 million illegal’s) no border control they are moving in by the hour. You have 15 million people in South Africa unemployed, you have 18 million on welfare, Zuma is keeping Mugabe in power, you have only 12 million people that at least can say I have some sort of a job; even it is only one day a week working as a gardener. This is really a sad story that a country where so many people worked so hard to make it a prosperous country is now going down the drain. Everyday little by little without the people noticing the people are just living in a fool’s paradise. The R 15 billion spend on education not even R 1, 00 researches were the money is needed. All along the way money is stolen with the contractors it is all in the ANC family that is getting the contracts and nothing happens. Look at Malema in three years as an ANC Youth League President with no education he was a multi-millionaire how is that possible? And so I can mention 600 000 cases of ANC members getting super rich and the poor gets poorer. The African/Blacks and all the other population groups are now worst off than in the 60's. In those days you had leaders that could administrate/govern a country.

Not sure if all that's true,it's a comment from an angry man.

davetheflower Wrote:

---

> South Africa was during the 50's, 60's and 70's
> one of the richest countries in the world. They
> had a strong first world component, strong middle
> class and low cost labour (100% employment, cheap
> food, cheap fuel, housing was build at a rate
> unsurpassed in Africa, one of the best rail
> systems in the world, cheap transport, all the
> people in South Africa had the best medical
> facilities no private institutions was even
> needed). Look what the ANC has done in 20 years
> everything is starting to collapse. Just as China
> and India has now. Each ethnic group had their
> schools in their own language just as in Britain,
> France, India (they had to cut India in half to
> accommodate religious diversity that is
> apartheid); China is also divided according the
> ethnic and religious differences. The land the
> African/Blacks received for the 9 ethnic groups in
> South Africa were all bigger than Belgian, they
> got the best Universities, schools, development
> programs, but no they always found a problem just
> as now in Kenya the British caused their problems,
> and in South Africa when the ANC is stealing the
> country to its knees it is the problem of
> apartheid. No economy can grow with a mafia
> running the country. You have 65 million people in
> South Africa (12 million illegal’s) no border
> control they are moving in by the hour. You have
> 15 million people in South Africa unemployed, you
> have 18 million on welfare, Zuma is keeping Mugabe
> in power, you have only 12 million people that at
> least can say I have some sort of a job; even it
> is only one day a week working as a gardener. This
> is really a sad story that a country where so many
> people worked so hard to make it a prosperous
> country is now going down the drain. Everyday
> little by little without the people noticing the
> people are just living in a fool’s paradise. The
> R 15 billion spend on education not even R 1, 00
> researches were the money is needed. All along the
> way money is stolen with the contractors it is all
> in the ANC family that is getting the contracts
> and nothing happens. Look at Malema in three years
> as an ANC Youth League President with no education
> he was a multi-millionaire how is that possible?
> And so I can mention 600 000 cases of ANC members
> getting super rich and the poor gets poorer. The
> African/Blacks and all the other population groups
> are now worst off than in the 60's. In those days
> you had leaders that could administrate/govern a
> country.
>
> Not sure if all that's true,it's a comment from an
> angry man.


The above is the kind of thing the EDL send out about muslims or immigrants in the UK,basically one side of a story.
How much of the population of South Africa 20 or 30 years ago shared the wealth 1%?

I am a proudly SAF citizen.
i am also a realist away from ABC website.
We live in an incredible country on an incredible continent and this is not in reference to scenery and wild animals. Most Black africans should not be confused with African politicians.
Most Black africans i meet or have constant interaction with want exactly the same as any normal sane educated person in the rest of the world.

Education
security ( Work, food, Safety, old age)
HeathCare

Unfortunately most of Africa if not all fall way short in these areas. Citizens are treated with contempt by the government of the day and no matter what the ordinary individual does very little changes for the good.

Southern Africa in particular are cursed with some of the worst most tyrannical/hopeless leaders in the world ZIM,Swazi,Madagascar/SA/Lesotho

the rest of africa signs of turn around are coming thru but too slowly for the massive population growth africa is experiencing.

Civil war , poverty , hunger, corruption, HIV is not only the current but also the future of Africa.

People like Umlilo are rare in african politics, Poeple like Malema , Zuma , Mugabe,are far more common and they hold sway.

As for the whitey syndrome we are 4 million pale faced individuals on the tip of a continent with 1.2 billion black africans who need to find there own path similar to Asia and South america post colonisation. we whiteys need to accept we can use our skills to create jobs , wealth etc but we will never influence policy on the african continent.

Sly

Easy,

As usual I regret coming on here - In the case of this thread, you do know more than me, you in the UK supposedly and you more in touch with the reality in the RSA than me - Well spotted pal - you got vision!

Let me rather spend my time on the Daily Competition Thread - I stand to gain something there...

hibernia Wrote:

---

> davetheflower Wrote:
>

---

>

---

> > South Africa was during the 50's, 60's and 70's
> > one of the richest countries in the world. They
> > had a strong first world component, strong
> middle
> > class and low cost labour (100% employment,
> cheap
> > food, cheap fuel, housing was build at a rate
> > unsurpassed in Africa, one of the best rail
> > systems in the world, cheap transport, all the
> > people in South Africa had the best medical
> > facilities no private institutions was even
> > needed). Look what the ANC has done in 20 years
> > everything is starting to collapse. Just as
> China
> > and India has now. Each ethnic group had their
> > schools in their own language just as in
> Britain,
> > France, India (they had to cut India in half to
> > accommodate religious diversity that is
> > apartheid); China is also divided according the
> > ethnic and religious differences. The land the
> > African/Blacks received for the 9 ethnic groups
> in
> > South Africa were all bigger than Belgian, they
> > got the best Universities, schools, development
> > programs, but no they always found a problem
> just
> > as now in Kenya the British caused their
> problems,
> > and in South Africa when the ANC is stealing
> the
> > country to its knees it is the problem of
> > apartheid. No economy can grow with a mafia
> > running the country. You have 65 million people
> in
> > South Africa (12 million illegal’s) no border
> > control they are moving in by the hour. You
> have
> > 15 million people in South Africa unemployed,
> you
> > have 18 million on welfare, Zuma is keeping
> Mugabe
> > in power, you have only 12 million people that
> at
> > least can say I have some sort of a job; even
> it
> > is only one day a week working as a gardener.
> This
> > is really a sad story that a country where so
> many
> > people worked so hard to make it a prosperous
> > country is now going down the drain. Everyday
> > little by little without the people noticing
> the
> > people are just living in a fool’s paradise.
> The
> > R 15 billion spend on education not even R 1,
> 00
> > researches were the money is needed. All along
> the
> > way money is stolen with the contractors it is
> all
> > in the ANC family that is getting the contracts
> > and nothing happens. Look at Malema in three
> years
> > as an ANC Youth League President with no
> education
> > he was a multi-millionaire how is that
> possible?
> > And so I can mention 600 000 cases of ANC
> members
> > getting super rich and the poor gets poorer.
> The
> > African/Blacks and all the other population
> groups
> > are now worst off than in the 60's. In those
> days
> > you had leaders that could administrate/govern
> a
> > country.
> >
> > Not sure if all that's true,it's a comment from
> an
> > angry man.
>
>
> The above is the kind of thing the EDL send out
> about muslims or immigrants in the UK,basically
> one side of a story.
> How much of the population of South Africa 20 or
> 30 years ago shared the wealth 1%?


I think your missing he's point...
It looks as if the point is,how the goverment has and is stripping everyone bare.im sure the point is not colour/race based.
The EDL are racist knuckle heads,I think one of their leaders was arrested for being drunk and disorderly while giving a speech.

Why do I not see a national campaign for family planning?