Abstracts

64 Introduction The May 2019 issue of Time featured articles on social inequalities in South Africa, with a cover story entitled, “What South Africa Can Teach Us as Worldwide Inequality Grows” (Baker, 2019). The international magazine cover was a jarring aerial photograph juxtaposing Johannesburg’s affluent suburb of Primrose with the crowded, under-resourced township of Makause, the two communities separated only by a highway. This image visually showcases extensive spatial inequalities within South Africa. The inequality currently ingrained in the system of spatial segregation was historically intentional. White South Africans own 72% of the land, while constituting less than a quarter of the population. Communities and cities are textured with visible forms of segregation and sharp disparities in structures and resources. When black South Africans come to cities, they are coming into spaces which “have been designed by, and primarily for, white people, whose dominance in the social formation have been reflected in the colonial, segregation, and apartheid [times]” (Lemon, 1991, p. 1). Thus, the spatial landscape is the product of conflated layers of policies and practices throughout time. The issue of housing in South Africa is complex and interconnected. Today, many of the housing inequalities predate but were exacerbated by apartheid. The legacy of segregation, racial inequality, and cycles of disadvantage remains pervasive, with implications across different spheres. Where one lives impacts employment, education, safety, health, access to resources/amenities, and overall quality of life. Thus, these racialized disparities within housing translate to all facets of life. In this article, I focus on how the housing landscape and spatial dynamics were deliberately created, organized, and racialized. I explore the general history of housing segregation in South Africa and more THE RACIAL UNDERPINNINGS OF HOUSING DISPARITIES IN SOUTH AFRICA Kevelis Matthews-Alvarado This article explores the unintentional harmful consequences of governmental policies meant to diminish racialized housing disparities. The need to better consider community-based solutions to address housing segregation and the entangled disparities is discussed. Empower Shack and Hustlenomics are posed as two successful and growing examples of positive systematic interventions. Perspectives on Business and Economics, Vol. 38, 2020