Affirmative action policies and the evolution of post-apartheid South Africa's racial wage gap

Rulof Burger, Rachel Jafta and Dieter von Fintel

No wp-2016-66, WIDER Working Paper Series from World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER)

Abstract: Racial wage inequality and discrimination have pervaded South African society for centuries. Apartheid legislation cemented these disparities by institutionalizing white job reservation and many other unfair practices. While racial wage gaps started to decline towards the end of apartheid, they increased (against all expectations) in the immediate post-transition period. Affirmative action legislation was enacted with a lag, first targeting employment equity and skills development in 1998 and then more extensive 'black economic empowerment' in 2003.

Keywords: Discrimination in employment; Equality and inequality; Labour; Wages (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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