Vignettes

#FeesMustFall 2 – the missing middle and the top 2%

This vignette provides a breakdown of students in Gauteng by income*. It shows that only 2% of students are from households earning above R600 000 a year. About 20% of students belong to the so-called ‘missing middle’, while three quarters are eligible for NSFAS funding. Whereas the top 2% are generally better off than all other students (e.g. less likely to have debt or be worried), the missing middle have much in common with NSFAS-eligible students. Students from the missing middle are the least likely to have participated in protests.

For another take on #FeesMustFall see Vignette 31.

#FeesMustFall 1 – multiple axes of inequality

In this vignette we consider two axes of inequality at issue in the #FeesMustFall protests. First, calls for ‘decolonisation’ give voice to a deeply felt sense of disadvantage by many students relative to their historically more privileged peers. Is this perception of inequality – of structural violence by the academy itself – valid? Second, to call for free higher education is to demand dramatic re-prioritisation of limited public resources. Is it legitimate to stake this claim given the current social position and future opportunities of those benefiting from higher-education, as well as the many unmet development needs of the poorest?

For another take on #FeesMustFall see Vignette 32.

Youth and transport in the GCR

Youth in Gauteng rely more heavily on non-motorised and public transport than those over 35 years of age. This reflects relatively higher unemployment and lower income when compared with older residents. Racial disparities are starkly reflected within the 18-34 age bracket: 73% of African youth use public transport to get to work compared to just 6% of white youth. Two conclusions flow from this. First, providing access to a ordable and e cient public transport is crucial to reducing socio-economic exclusion of youth, particularly for work-seekers and students. Second, investing in and promoting public and non-motorised transport may mitigate a shift to private modes of transport once young peoples' socio-economic conditions improve later in life, and in turn help achieve a society less reliant on cars.

Making a life in informal dwellings in Gauteng

Although migrants into Gauteng hope for improved services and economic opportunities, some 18% of Gauteng residents live in informal dwellings (StatsSA 2016). People living informally are more likely to be under 35 years and to live alone than those living in formal accommodation. Not only are they unable to secure adequate accommodation; they also struggle to penetrate the formal job market, and are more likely to be unemployed. Government grants help to sustain livelihoods for informal dwellers, but most make a living through provisional means, temporary work, or the informal sector. This vignette explores aspects of the life and livelihoods of Gauteng residents living informally, using 2015 Quality of Life Survey data.

The quality of education in Gauteng

Vignette 28 provides a breakdown of the matric pass rates by school type. It demonstrates that public no-fee schools have lower pass rates than other categories, and shows that districts with low pass rates, such as Johannesburg Central, have high proportions of no-fee public schools.