Voices from South Africa - how whites and blacks think about the future

South Africa is a great place to travel as a tourist, but it is also a country with major political challenges. The South Africans we meet love their country, while feeling anxious about the future. We may only capture a sliver of what's going on, but we share that sliver with you. Today we present voices from South Africa.

Voices from South Africa - what people tell us

South Africa is a complex country. Apartheid lasted until the early 1990s, and of course that history cannot be erased. The question is where do we go from here? What happens to all the poor people living in corrugated iron sheds? What happens when the rich, who pay a large part of the tax revenues, emigrate to Europe and the US? What happens when politicians become corrupt and put all the money in their own pockets?

We've been mesmerised by South Africa and fallen in love, but we've also been horrified and felt a pang in our stomachs at times. It is impossible to keep track of all the events, but every person we meet adds another small piece to the puzzle. We have been thinking about how to tell the story, and we have come to the conclusion that the best way is to let the South Africans themselves tell the story.

White voices from South Africa

We have spoken to many white South Africans - friends, friends of friends, guesthouse owners, restaurant owners and many others. Here are some of the things they have told us about the situation in South Africa. Please note that these statements cannot, of course, be generalised.

I thought blacks and whites would live together more, after Apartheid, but it didn't happen.

We live in a bubble.

Mandela was a good leader, and so was his successor. But after that... The politicians are corrupt and self-serving.

We plan to stay here in South Africa. But I am transferring money to the US and Europe, just in case.

For me it's too late, but you want young people to move away from here. It's a "brain drain".

It is very difficult for white people to get a job now. Even if you have a high education, it is difficult. And abroad you can get a salary that is three times higher.

No, they do not live in the same neighbourhoods. Between the white poor and the black poor, the differences are even greater. It's pure hatred.

The immigrants from Malawi are more educated and willing to work harder. We are happy to employ them. Black South Africans are often lazy, but they get angry when immigrants take their jobs. In the past, black South Africans have captured Malawian immigrants and burned them alive.

I handed in my gun for registration, but I had to bribe a person to get it back. It should not be like that, but you have no choice. You have to pay.

Most black people vote for the ANC, even though they realise that the T-shirt they get before the election is a bribe. But the politicians don't make things better for them, they put the money in their own pockets. Everyone here is corrupt.

A black person who has grown up in a white environment can be called a 'coconut' - black on the outside and white on the inside.

South Africa in 30 years? It will be fine if politicians continue to bribe the population. If they don't, there will be chaos ...

Black voices from South Africa

We have also spoken to some black South Africans, such as guides and tourist office staff. Here are some of the things they told us. Please note that we only spoke to a small number of people, and these statements cannot be generalised.

They (ANC) give away free T-shirts and food vouchers to the people, a few weeks before the election, and then they get their votes.

There is no good party to vote for. You just have to choose the least bad one.

The subsidised housing is supposed to go to those who need it, but this is not the case. I, who know the right people, could get such housing if I wanted to. Those who need it, they don't get housing.

Now they (ANC) are going to close the school where my children go and turn it into a high school. It's a good school, so it's totally wrong. They are doing this just to gain points for the election. They are destroying this school just because there are white teachers there. Now all the classes are being split, and the children are going to bigger schools, which are worse.

I drive around with three knives in my car. Even I, being black, feel unsafe here. It's not right that it should be like this.

South Africa is an amazing country, incredibly beautiful. But I am worried. They are not taking care of the country, and crime is increasing. Eventually you won't be able to see the beauty.

South Africa in 30 years? It will be like Zimbabwe ...

How do you think?

What do you think when you read these voices from South Africa? What do you already know about the country? Have you travelled here, have you read about South Africa or have you perhaps spoken to South Africans?

Do you like this type of report, which not only offers travel inspiration but also some information or thoughts on the political situation in a country?