The South African poor white problem in the early 20th century: Lessons for poverty today

Johan Fourie

No 14/2006, Working Papers from Stellenbosch University, Department of Economics

Abstract: The causes of the poor white problem, first noted at a Dutch Reformed Church Synod in 1886, were unclear; many blamed the inadequate education system, urbanisation, cheap wages or cultural factors, while others argued that external events such as the rinderpest disease or the Anglo-Boer war added to the numbers of poor whites. Today, poverty is still at the heart of many policy debates in South Africa. A bad educational legacy, urbanisation, labour legislation, culture and tradition, and external factors are still amongst the factors said to be the causes of poverty. This paper assesses the similarities and differences between black poverty today and white poverty a century ago, and suggests possible policy lessons to learn from the past.

Keywords: poverty; poor white problem; inequality; policy proposals (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I31 N37 N97 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2006
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-afr, nep-dev and nep-his
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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