South Africa confronts stark inequality ahead of G20 Summit

Just 15 kilometers can separate two very different worlds in South Africa. In Diepsloot, tightly packed shacks line crumbling roads, and opportunities for advancement remain scarce. Nearby Thatchfield, with its spacious homes and manicured lawns, seems like an entirely different universe.

For 24-year-old Richard Dube, life in Diepsloot is a daily struggle. Though he graduated high school, steady employment has eluded him, leaving him to navigate financial uncertainty. “It’s been really tough,” Dube said. “Some people are scared to come here, because they think Diepsloot is very dangerous, but which is not true.”

Seeing young residents like Dube struggle, his uncle John Tavengwa decided to act. Leading the Bambanani Rainbow Skills Development organization, Tavengwa is building a center using recycled materials to teach mechanical, carpentry, farming, and construction skills, aiming to equip the community with tools to fight inequality. “We can give them skills…so that we can fight this inequality,” he said.

The challenges faced by Diepsloot residents highlight the broader issue of inequality in South Africa, which remains a pressing concern three decades after apartheid. Nobel laureate economist Joseph Stiglitz, chair of the G20 inequality panel, notes the extreme disparities that have developed globally in recent decades. “We have…built up extremes of inequality that should be morally reprehensible,” he said.

As South Africa hosts the G20 summit, bringing together the world’s 20 largest economies, the plight of communities like Diepsloot underscores the urgent need to address inequality and expand opportunities for all citizens.