Almost three decades after the conclusion of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), South Africa’s vision of a reconciled and equitable nation remains unfulfilled. While the TRC was a groundbreaking institution that inspired transitional justice processes in post-conflict societies around the world, the government of the day only partially accepted its recommendations of reparations for apartheid survivors. Neither the reparations paid nor their accompanying policy programmes succeeded at disrupting the country’s deep economic and social inequalities rooted in colonialism and apartheid. More than half of all South Africans live in poverty today, income inequality levels are among the highest in the world, and almost two-thirds of young adults of working age are unemployed.

Date of publication: 2025