South Africa's Black Empowerment Laws and the Long Shadow of Apartheid

Bloomberg

2 days ago

During the eras of colonialism and apartheid, Black South Africans were subjugated, denied a decent education, and excluded from the mainstream economy. Severe racial disparities endure to this day, more than three decades after the end of White-minority rule. South Africa ranks as one of the world's most unequal countries, according to analysis by the World Inequality Lab.
The government has introduced a series of policies to try to narrow the wealth gap. While these Black-economic-empowerment measures have helped diversify corporate ownership and grow a Black middle class, critics say a small, politically connected elite have been the primary beneficiaries.