South Africa in 1999

• According to the government National Report on Social Development, 61% of black Africans were poor, compared to 1% of whites. The unemployment rate for black Africans was 42.5% compared to 4.6% for whites.
• Significant progress had been made in education, health care, housing and basic services, but poverty continued to be a widespread and inequality was huge.
• By 1999, 22 million people in SA were still living in poverty.