- Reparations efforts in South Africa have largely stalled
- Economic inequality remains deeply racialized and unresolved
- Global reparations movements offer lessons for the future
THE global movement for accountability and reparations is gaining momentum, with growing demands for former colonial powers to address historical injustices. In recent years, countries like the UK, Netherlands, Germany, and Italy have made financial and institutional commitments to compensate for past atrocities, including massacres, forced displacements, and genocide in former colonies such as Kenya, Indonesia, Namibia, and Libya.
At the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in October 2024, leaders from former British colonies agreed that it was time for a ‘meaningful, truthful, and respectful conversation’ about the transatlantic slave trade and its lasting impact. The African Union (AU) has since declared 2025 the Year of Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations, signalling a shift toward collective demands for redress.
As global reparations movements gain traction, South Africa’s own unfinished journey toward reconciliation comes under renewed scrutiny.
Reparations in South Africa: a promise unfulfilled
Reflecting on South Africa’s stalled reparations process, it is clear that while the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) sought to address apartheid-era human rights violations, its recommendations were never fully implemented. Established in 1995, the TRC investigated crimes committed between 1960 and 1993 and, in its final report (2003), proposed an extensive reparations package, including cash grants, community rehabilitation, and institutional reforms.
However, these recommendations were largely ignored. Then-President Thabo Mbeki dismissed cash reparations, arguing they would ‘demean’ the sacrifices of apartheid victims. Instead, the government focused on national economic development. Ultimately, only 17,000 survivors received a one-time grant of R30,000 (about $4,400 today), far below the TRC’s recommendations.
The failure to implement a comprehensive reparations strategy has left many survivors struggling with healthcare, economic support, and restitution. A survivor interviewed in 2004 stated: ‘I need medical treatment and psychological support, but the money is about to finish.’
Meanwhile, the President’s Fund, which was intended to finance additional reparations, remains largely unused. By 2022, nearly R1.9bn ($110 million) had accumulated in the fund, yet only R98 million ($5.7 million) had been distributed over five years.
Economic injustice: the unresolved legacy of apartheid
Beyond individual reparations, South Africa’s economic inequalities remain starkly racialized. The expectation that democracy and the TRC process would dismantle structural apartheid-era wealth disparities has not materialized. Today, more than half of South Africans still live in poverty, and the country retains the highest income inequality in the world.
The latest data from Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) reveals that in 2022/23, the average white-headed household earned nearly five times more than the average Black-headed household (R676,375/$39,000 vs. R143,632/$8,300). Similarly, Black women (39 percent) experience unemployment at nearly five times the rate of white men (8 percent).
These disparities are not just historical injustices—they are ongoing economic realities. More than 60 percent of South African children under six live in extreme poverty, and one in four children under five suffers from malnutrition-related stunting.
Meanwhile, Johannesburg and Cape Town are among Africa’s wealthiest cities, home to nearly 20,000 US-dollar millionaires. The wealthiest 10 percent of South Africans control 85 percent of net personal wealth, according to UNU-WIDER.
The failure to redistribute wealth and opportunity raises an urgent question: Can South Africa afford to ignore reparations any longer?
Revisiting reparations: learning from global models
Countries across the world have successfully implemented reparations programs, proving that compensation is both feasible and beneficial.
In Colombia, the 2011 Victim’s Law committed to paying cash reparations to 7.4 million people affected by armed conflict. While the program has faced setbacks, studies show positive effects such as higher wages, better education access, and improved working conditions.
In the United States, multiple states and cities have launched reparations investigations, focusing on racial disparities in housing, education, and legal justice. California’s Reparations Task Force has recommended individual payments of up to $1.2 million, along with institutional reforms.
South Africa can draw lessons from these global examples, ensuring reparations extend beyond one-time payments to include structural reforms, economic inclusion, and social justice initiatives.
Pathways for a just future
The 2024 Reconciliation Barometer Report outlines four potential pathways for South Africa’s future:
- Growth first, justice later: The government prioritises economic stability and investment while delaying reparations.
- A nation invested: Increased social spending in education, healthcare, and housing to reduce inequality.
- Champion for global justice: South Africa leads the international reparations movement, advocating for justice beyond its borders.
- A new political order: Rising discontent and economic struggles fuel radical political change and shifts in governance.
With a new Government of National Unity (GNU) in place, South Africa has an opportunity to revisit reparations and address historical and ongoing injustices. The question is not whether reparations are affordable, but whether the country can afford to ignore them any longer.
Looking ahead: justice as a foundation for the future
South Africa’s transition to democracy was built on hope, compromise, and the promise of a better future. But without addressing the economic and social inequalities left by apartheid, reconciliation remains incomplete.
Reparations are not about dwelling on history—they are about rectifying structural injustices that continue to shape lives today. As global calls for reparations grow, South Africa must decide whether it will lead the movement or continue to sideline justice in favor of political convenience.
Without meaningful action, the inequalities of the past will define the future. The time to act is now.
Kate Lefko-Everett is senior project leader for the South African Reconciliation Barometer. The full 2024 Reconciliation Barometer report is available here.
