WHITES IN SOUTH AFRICA

People of European descent in South Africa not only include the majority Afrikaner, but also a sizeable population of various British or continental European ancestries who identify more with English than other South African languages and more with the Anglophone World and Anglophone Diaspora than with the creole Boer culture which is more attached to African soil
Statistics South Africa estimates that there are about 4.4 million whites in South Africa (2007)--down from an all time high of 5.2 million(1995). It is expected that the group was undercounted in the last census, as many live in tight, private gated neighbourhoods and farms which did not receive census forms. The undercount may be as much as 10%, which would bring the white population to about 4.8 million. Roughly 60% of them speak Afrikaans as their mother language and about 39% speak English. 1% of the white population speaks some other language as their mother language, such as German, Portuguese or Greek. Speakers of Afrikaans speakers refer to themselves as Afrikaners. Unlike the Afrikaners, the English speakers have not constituted a coherent political or cultural entity in South Africa, hence the absence of a commonly accepted term to designate them, although 'English South African' or 'English-speaking South African' is used (see Anglo-African). Many whites have immigrated to South Africa following the independence of the African nations. Many Portuguese from Mozambique and Angola and white Zimbabweans emigrated to South Africa, when their countries became independent. Meanwhile, many white South Africans also emigrated to other first world countries over the past decade.
During apartheid, immigrants from Taiwan, Korea and Japan were considered ''honorary whites'' in the country, as the government had and maintained diplomatic relations with these countries. These where granted the same privileges as whites. African-Americans were sometimes granted an 'honorary white' status as well, based on the government's belief that they were "civilised" and possessed western values.
According to Statistics South Africa, whites make up about 9.2% (July 2006) of the total population in South Africa and are large minorities in many cities and provinces in South Africa; in Pretoria they are roughly 23.9%, East Rand 19.4%, in Cape Town 18.7%, in Port Elizabeth 16.5%, in Johannesburg 16%, and in Durban 8.9%. Their actual proportional share is likely to be higher, given the undercount in the 2006 census.
In recent decades there has been a steady proportional decline in the white population, due to higher birthrates among the non-white population of South Africa. More recently, the improved counting of the majority black population, the undercounting of whites in the census figures and emigration have contributed to a sharp decline since 1994. In 1994, upon the abolition of apartheid, whites comprised 13.6% of the population, compared to 9.2% today. According to some previous census data, the highest proportion of whites in South Africa was around 1911, when they made up between 19-21% of the population. It is estimated that at least one million South African-born whites have moved abroad.
In contrast, the white populations of East Rand, Johannesburg and Pretoria grew between 1996 and 2001. East Rand's white population expanded by 31,567 or 7%, with Pretoria's white population also increasing by 7% with 3,295 more white residents. In Johannesburg the white population increased by 22,982, or 4.7%.
Like many other communities strongly affiliated with the West and Europe's colonial legacy in Africa, the whites of South Africa are often economically better off than their black African neighbors, but have nonetheless surrendered political dominance to majority rule. There were also many whites in South Africa who lived in poverty--especially during the 1930s. Current estimates of white poverty in South Africa run as high as 12%.
South African whites continue to participate in politics, having a presence across the whole political spectrum from left to right. In general, whites consider themselves to be just as South African as the non-white majority in South Africa. Today many whites, and blacks, say that South African whites are ,not just South African but, Africans just like their black counter parts. President Thabo Mbeki stated in one his speeches to the nation that: ''South Africa belongs to everyone who lives in it. Black and White.'' The history of whites in South Africa dates back to the 17th century.
There has been some rivaly and bitter feeling between Afrikaners and English-speaking whites. This is due in part to the Second Boer War, Britain's attempt to ''anglicise'' the country during the first half of the 20th century, and Afrikaner nationalism.
Prior to 1994, the white minority of South Africa held complete political power under a system of racial segregation called apartheid. Many whites supported this policy, but some others were opposed, support for an anti-apartheid South Africa amongst white South Afrikans was very small, only about 15-20% of whites oppossed the apartheid.

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See also

See also

★ Afrikaners

★ Anglo-African

★ Whites in Zimbabwe

★ South Africa

★ White African

★ Colonization of Africa

★ Orania

★ Municipal Demarcation Board of South Africa

★ South African Migration Project (SAMP)