Deep Dive: South Africa

News on a Variety of Subjects of South African Culture

The South African Language of the Zulu

The Southern Bantu language is spoken by the Zulu people in the country of South Africa. According to Wikipedia, it is estimated that around 12 million people speak this language. These people make up the largest ethnic group in South Africa. The Southern Bantu language is a click language. It is both written and spoken. According to Outsourcing Translation, the language can be dated all the way to the 14th century A.D. This makes it a relatively young language. That said, it is one of the most culturally rich languages on our planet.

Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa, elected the 5th person to South Africa’s leader in 2018.

South African Politics

According to Wikipedia, the South African government is a unitary parliamentary democratic republic. The government was established on September 6th, 1968. The government is made up of three-tiers. It includes an independent judiciary and a legislative authority. The current president of South Africa is Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa. The president is decided by the parliament and not directly by the people. According to The South African, Matamela is currently trying to transition the country from fossil fuels to green energy. This is a very expensive process that could cost billions or even trillions.

The South African Religion of Christianity

A Christian church in South Africa. This religion was brought to South Africa by the Portuguese in the 15th century.

According to Cultural Atlas, Christianity is the most widely practiced religion in South Africa, with over 80% of inhabitants practicing it. Christianity is also the most widely practiced religion in the world. Christianity has been around since the 1st century CE. It is a monotheistic religion that originated in Judea. Christianity is practiced at churches, and these are scattered throughout South Africa.

South African Men’s National Soccer Team

The South African men’s team is currently ranked 67th in the world by FIFA. They have been struggling recently but they have a rich history. In 1996 they won the AFCON (which is the largest tournament in Africa). They unfortunately missed out on a spot in the 2022 World Cup. This was mainly due to a controversial penalty decision against Ghana.

Teko Modise,s a South African footballer nicknamed “The General”. He also played for Cape Town City Football Club.

My Thoughts

From the 19th century forward, South Africa has had a major struggle with poverty and inequality. According to Macro Trends, South Africa has one of the highest infant mortality rates in the world. In the small country of South Africa there are more malnourished children than in the entire United States. The struggle doesn’t end there. Inequality in South Africa has struck record numbers. According to aljazeera, 10% of the population makes up for 80% of the country’s wealth! South Africa is the single most unequal country in the world. We believe that this should not be overshadowed by the countries past.