Social mobility is not a walkable journey

Education breeds success, but for some Born Frees to grasp their promised freedom, parents have to make the difficult decision of placing them in schools outside the township – with or without the government’s help in getting them there.

Itumeleng ‘Tumi’ Segoale starting his accounting articles in 2021. Photo: Nancy Segoale/Supplied

Tumi Segoale’s story, navigating the opportunities available to him as a Born Free, reflects the truth President Cyril Ramaphosa attempted to allude to in his story of Tintswalo. It is not a tale of fantasy, but real struggle – and, more importantly, effort – to get into the desired middle class, which many people often find to be a mirage.

The born-free generation are democracy’s children: those “born without the burden of apartheid”, either after 1990, the year Nelson Mandela was released from prison, or post-1994, the year of the first democratic election. Supposedly, Born Frees are able to enjoy a standard of living and a recovering economy withheld from their parents. 

The latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey from Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) shows that unemployment among people with less than a matric is 30% higher than among those who have graduated from a tertiary institution. Born Frees, therefore, need to access education before they can access this economic advantage.

Itumeleng “Tumi” Segoale was born in 1998 at the Johannesburg Hospital. He has stayed in the same house in Jabulani, Soweto for as long as he can remember. “Listening to my parents talk about how they grew up and how tough it was… it dawned on me just how flippin’ lucky we are that we were born at the right time,” he says.

Children’s Geographies published a study exploring the relationship between school choice and geography in Soweto. As a result of the apartheid-era Bantu Education Act, the educational policy of schools and the resources devoted to the specific institutions were wholly determined along racial lines. 

What this created, even in the democratic era, is a legacy of well-performing, well-resourced schools typically found in “white” areas. “It has left behind a persistent set of geographically defined inequalities in educational infrastructure and resources,” the study states. According to South African Policy, a learner is considered to attend a “local” school if they travel a maximum of 3km from their home. The study notes that about a third of children between1997 and 2003 travelled more than 3km to school, with about 20% travelling more than 10km.

Tumi Mashiane, the executive manager’s assistant of the Southern African Bus Operators Association, contextualises the transport system before 1994. “Pre-democracy, the transport system was fragmented, largely serving affluent areas while neglecting townships. Infrastructure was underfunded and often inadequate.” 

Bedfordview is a quiet suburb in eastern Johannesburg. Some 14,000 people populate the calm streets, with two-thirds of them being white and English-speaking. Tumi attended Bedfordview Primary School (BPS), one of the few public schools in the suburb. The well-known school is surrounded by a bright, green fence, providing just enough space to see the six-lane swimming pool and newly built classrooms glimmering in the sunlight. The opposite side of the school hosts the general pick-up and drop-off area. This is well-paved with a gorgeous exposed brick display, sponsored, in part, by the students and parents through a buy-a-brick campaign. The school takes advantage of its location in a suburb where the average cost of a property is just shy of R3-million. Tumi’s parents worked near the school and it became the natural choice to send their son there. 

Reflecting on this decision, he tells me, “There’s always a weird conception about… going to school in the hood that I’ve seen and it’s not good.” Tumi felt he attended a school that forced him to take his education seriously, an experience his friends attending local schools did not receive. In 2010, Soweto had 60 underperforming schools; other townships, such as Sharpeville, Tembisa and Mamelodi, recorded only 10 each. Then MEC of education Barbara Creecy hosted a summit to address the extensive rate of underperforming schools in Soweto compared to other townships. Although many parents were now placing their children in wealthier, “white” schools, resources were not necessarily committed to match this increase in mobility.

With apartheid’s legacy of confining black people outside urban centres, public transport infrastructure could not adequately address urban development in overpopulated, under-resourced areas like Soweto. “We have a new tendency called the urban sprawl, meaning areas coming into existence not far outside our urban centres of work and or residence,” says Lunga Jacobs, a lecturer and researcher in the Department of Transport at the University of Johannesburg (UJ). 

One KPI set out in the 1996 White Paper was an average travel time to work of less than an hour. Every morning, during peak traffic, Tumi would spend up to an hour-and-a-half on the road to get to school. The government had 10 years to make schooling more accessible for students like Tumi, who attended BPS the year after this milestone was meant to be achieved. At this time, taxis from Soweto dropped their passengers off at the Eastgate Mall taxi rank, a 35-minute walk to the school. Fortunately, Tumi attended school near his parents’ work and they could drive him. 
Unfortunately, due to a budget shortfall in the billions, expired bus contracts from 1997 were renewed on a short-term basis, ranging from month-to-month to three years. Short contracts and underfunding required prioritising the maintenance of the ageing bus fleet, preventing conductors from adding additional routes to meet passenger demands. When contracts were offered, none were awarded. Therefore, any bus routes entering Bedfordview (and similar areas) did not travel deep enough into the suburb to reach Tumi’s school. “[W]e in transport… have a term called ‘sunk cost’… meaning it’s costs you forgo for the benefits you will reap on the infrastructure over the long term,” Jacobs says. But without such outlay, bus owners are unable to effectively plan for the future of urban development.

A rea vaya bus in a state of disrepair. Photo: Thato Gololo

Safety is a concern surrounding any method of public transport, whether rail, bus or taxi. “I was so terrified that once I had a phone, if it got stolen, my parents just wouldn’t have the cash to buy it for me,” Tumi says. Stats SA’s National Household Travel Survey continuously emphasises this same sentiment. The 2013 survey, specifically, demonstrated that households had to wait even longer to access public transport than previously, with their journey times increasing. This lack of reliability, combined with safety concerns, likely contributed to the increase in private vehicles on the road, directly contradicting the government’s KPI of decreasing private-vehicle use.
More than two-thirds of people in the country now use taxis as a means of transport, but the taxi sector is a notoriously difficult industry for the government to regulate. Although taxis are an affordable method of transport, the industry is marred by ‘intimidation, lawlessness [and a] lack of vehicle safety protocols’. A study on transport economics reflected on taxis’ increasing market share, saying that, should other means of transport not be developed, “The country will soon become entirely dependent on the informal minibus taxi industry.” A haunting warning of what was to come.

The taxi industry, with its increasing market share in transport (almost 90% of the country at this point), is not subsidised by the government in the same way as the train and bus systems. Olga Mashilo, the director of Boleng Bontle Consultants, which specialises in transport and logistics research, says that a major contributor to the expense of transport is the cost of fuel. “We’re putting too much [in]to the fuel levy and there is no return on investment when you look at the infrastructure,” she says.

Nevertheless, craving independence, and to avoid that early morning struggle his parents still experience, Tumi began to actively explore his options during university. When he started at UJ, he discovered a web of transport allowing him to arrive at school at his leisure. Going to UJ’s Soweto campus allowed him to take a shuttle directly to the main campus. After that it was a simple Rea Vaya bus to anywhere else in the city. This is a path that many students in Soweto follow.  

To survive this city, you’ve got to have thick soles. And, if you can’t drive, walk.

SLICE: Honouring the struggles of the past while looking ahead

The true meaning of Worker’s Day goes beyond the public holiday.

As the sun rises over Johannesburg, the morning rush hour begins in earnest. Cars, taxis, and buses fill the roads, and pedestrians hurry to get to work on time. In the chaos, drivers often forget about the rules of the road.

Amidst this hustle and bustle, it is easy to overlook the privilege and ability an individual has to go to work based on their skills and qualifications, not their skin colour or gender.

On Worker’s Day, May 1, we remember the struggles of those who fought for us as South Africans, and others across the world, to work in inclusive, merit-based spaces,

As a student pursuing a career in journalism, I find it important to remember the tireless struggles of workers who fought for fair labour practices, equal rights, and social justice in the workplace.

I am filled with gratitude for pioneers like Emma Mashinini, former trade unionist and political activist, who became active within the African National Congress in 1956 and later founded the South African Commercial, Catering and Allied Workers Union. Or Jay Naidoo, the founding general secretary of the Congress of South African Trade unions, who spearheaded the 1950s worker’s strikes, demanding fair wages, better working conditions, and an end to discrimination.

While Worker’s Day commemorates the struggles and celebrated triumphs of the labour movement, it is a sad irony that many South Africans find themselves outside of the formal workforce. According to the latest data from Statistics South Africa’s Quarterly Labour Force Survey, approximately 1 in every 3 people in South Africa are unemployed, as the unemployment rate stands at 32,1%.

A sketch showing that skills and qualifications know no race or gender. Drawing: Katlego Mtshali

Despite the progress made in securing fair labour and equal opportunities, the reality is that South Africans face significant barriers to entering the workforce, including the lack of education, skills, and access to resources and networks.

As someone who hopes to enter the journalism workforce soon, I fear that my qualifications and skills may not be compensated with a fair salary, that my voice may not be heard, and ultimately, that my contributions may not matter.

Moreover, the journalism field comes with its own set of hurdles such as intimidation, lack of resources and the pursuit of truth in a rapidly changing media landscape.

That is why I have also started a side hustle as a makeup artist- because jobs are not guaranteed, and I want to be prepared. This also means I have to juggle both my schoolwork and longer hours of work if I have more than one client in a day, on weekends.

However, I am also excited about the future of work in South Africa. Our generation has the power to push boundaries, challenge the status quo, and advocate for a better tomorrow. During the #RhodesMustFall and #FeesMustFall protests, our generation proved to be like the generations that fought our collective freedom before democracy, they stood up against injustices and fought for equal rights, access to education and economic opportunities.

This Worker’s Day, I honour the past, celebrate the present, and eagerly anticipate the future-a future built on the foundations of solidarity, equality, and justice for all. I am proud to be part of a generation that will continue to shape the future of work in South Africa, and I am committed to using my skills and experience to make a positive impact.

FEATURED IMAGE: Katlego Mtshali/File

RELATED ARTICLES:

Wits 2024 law career fair spells out the ABC’s of landing a job in the profession

Law students explore diverse career options at the 2024 law career fair.

The Wits Law Student Council hosted over 31 law firms and organisations on campus to grant students an opportunity to forge relationships with prospective employers; and learn more about what is expected of them in the legal profession.

Students surrounding the career fair organiser, Milkias Gebremichael as he explained the rules of a game they participated in. Photo: Katlego Mtshali

The career fair was hosted on the April 9, 2024 at the Old Mutual Sports hall.

One of the organisers of the fair, Milkias Gebremichael said the purpose of the expo was to make students familiar with the profession by allowing them to ask questions related to vacation-work, articles and the daily realities of the career.

The fair consisted of lawyers working for NGOs, engaging in pro bono work, handling commercial cases, and those that work for smaller firms.

Bronywn Quin, HR manager at Poswa Incorporated law firm said it was her first time attending the fair, and she was excited as students who have graduated from Wits law school are employees at the firm.

Quin emphasised the importance of considering both academic achievements and extracurricular involvement when evaluating candidates for employment at the firm.

“The firm has maintained a long-standing, deep relationship with the Law faculty at the University of Witswatersrand, that is why we keep coming back to the annual career fair,” said Kasheer Singh, the graduate recruitment manager at the Bowmans law firm.

When hiring graduates for internships, permanent posts, and articles, the MacRobert Attorney law firm said they vet students according to the “EISH factor”. The E stands for energetic, the I for intelligent, the S for self-motivating and the H for hard-working.

Saneliso Ngubane, who works in the personal injury department within the firm, said what sets the firm apart is that they specialise in different forms of law.

Takalani Netshiavaha, a third-year LLB candidate said to Wits Vuvuzela that even though the career expo happens annually, each year students are introduced to new firms and information.

“The expo helps broaden our options, the human contact assists students to remain inspired knowing that the people who facilitate the expos are candidate attorneys, shows me my dreams are not far-fetched,” said Netshiavaha.

“I do not know any lawyers, I do not have any lawyers in my family, so this expo makes it feel more real, I get to network with people working for the biggest firms such as Bowmans, it helps me get in the door,” said LLB student, Matthew Robertson.

The Wits Students Law Council has announced that the next career expo will be held in the second semester in case students missed this one.

A roaring 120 years at Joburg Zoo

Approximately 20 000 men, women, and children flocked to the Johannesburg Zoo for birthday celebrations.

It was a sheer coincidence that Joburg Zoo’s birthday celebration fell on Human Right’s Day, March 21, giving them the chance to create awareness around everyone’s “right to have the environment protected, for the benefit of present and future generations” (Section 24b of the South African Constitution).


Executive Director, Louise Gordon, stated their priority has and always will be conservation and education. The zoo is involved in rehabilitation and exchange programmes on and off site to broaden their reach and ability in the environmental sphere.

She said “if people don’t know, they won’t conserve,”: therefore, the zoo has slashed their entrance fee from R120 per adult to just R20 during their birthday month to encourage affordable access.

Elephants enjoying all the attention at Joburg Zoo.
Photo: Victoria Hill
A lazy tiger enjoying the view at Johannesburg Zoo.
Photo: Victoria Hill


The concrete jungle, namely Johannesburg, has long said goodbye to preconceived ideas about animal treatment in zoos. Instead, they have evolved and revolutionised themselves into being one of a few zoos in an urban setting that homes the Big Five. As part of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Johannesburg Zoo has a high standard to uphold, putting animal welfare first.


Whilst strolling around the enclosures, the many animals seemed to be having the time of their lives, with many sleeping under the sunny skies. Local artists were blaring tunes on the main stage, but Jenny Moodley, spokesperson for Joburg Zoo, assured the animals were protected from any harmful decibels by a buffering system actively established.


Johannesburg Zoo plays an integral role in the Wits community, because of the educational opportunities it affords to environmental and medical students. Moodley said the ongoing exchange programme between the university and zoo, allows the youth of South Africa to learn from all angles.


“For example, if we are doing an autopsy on one of our big species […] we invite the students to observe,” said Moodley. The zoo, therefore, offers Wits students a privileged opportunity to learn amongst South Africa’s natural heritage.


Speaking to Wits Vuvuzela, Nathi Mvula, a senior environmental education specialist, shared his views on why he believes Johannesburg Zoo reaching their latest milestone is important:

An interview with Joburg Zoo’s senior educational environmental specialist, Nathi Mvula. Video creds: Victoria Hill

To have opened in 1904, and to still be open today, Joburg Zoo has proved itself a national icon and beacon for wildlife conservation.

PROFILE: Jakes Gerwel Fellowship helps to improve the quality of Education in SA 

Through introducing projects that promote teaching as an aspirational career, the Jakes Gerwel Fellowship aims to improve the quality of education in South Africa.  

The Jakes Gerwel Fellowship (JGF) is focusing on improving the poor conditions in public schools across South Africa by introducing uplifting leadership programs and investing in students who have a passion for teaching and education. 

Jakes Gerwel is a fellowship that has been mandated by the then Allan Gray Orbis Foundation since 2017, aiming to improve the education system. JGF hopes to position teaching as an aspirational career for young students to promote an increase in employment of quality teachers in public schools. 

South Africa’s education system has been declining, with young people struggling to read for comprehension. Only 20% of public schools function adequately with a large gap between the final matric results they achieve compared to those of the other 80% of public schools.  

Many of these schools fail due to poor infrastructure, teacher shortages, and a lack of educational progress, resulting in high unemployment rates. “Unemployment amongst the youth in our country is the highest [and] amongst graduates, teachers have the highest unemployment, especially Bed [bachelor of education] graduates,” says JGF fellow Samora Menze. 

JGF hopes to bridge this gap with strategic communications specialist Sarah Koopman telling Wits Vuvuzela that, “The quality of the education system is dependent on the quality of its teachers.” JGF has identified the teacher shortage in South Africa as one of utmost importance for our economy to thrive. 

JGF program participants are selected based off their “expert teacher profile, educational leadership, and educational entrepreneurial skills,” says acting CEO Carla Watson. Wits University is a partner institution of JGF, offering scholarships and bursaries to strong student candidates who are completing their postgraduate certificates of education (PGCE).  

One of the initiatives JGF has chosen to take on is the employment support and work readiness program which began at the end of 2022 and will continue throughout the 2023 year. This project aims to support teachers who are qualified but are not equipped with enough information on how to find employment after graduating. 

This involves helping candidates with their CV, setting up mock interviews to equip them with valuable interview skills, hosting South African Council of Educators (SACE) registration information sessions, and sharing employment opportunities with candidates so they can access teaching positions easier. This program aims to help teachers find employment, taking preference over government school positions by placing teachers in these schools, hoping to “make resources available to maximise JGF’s impact, connecting with organisations that are contributing to address unemployment in the country,” Menze said.  

JGF is also working on other projects such as using theatre to improve reading literacy. A Wits master’s student and JGF fellow, Luna August, co-founded the AK Arts and Leadership program (AKALA) which is a non-profit organization focused on increasing art education throughout South Africa. August’s research focuses on the importance of the arts in education. 

August is hoping to improve literacy rates in the country with over 80% of children in the country struggling to read. August’s research focuses on how drama can help improve student’s reading and listening abilities and vocal acquisition. She goes on to explain how drama in education holds value because it has been recognised as a decolonising pedagogy through embodied drama strategies in classrooms

August explains that by implementing certain drama-education strategies such as role-playing and improvisation, students can benefit from enhanced reading abilities but can also develop their creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. AKALA’s goal is to launch an art centre that is registered with the education department that allows for dialogic theoretical engagement, critical reflexivity, and artistic development through increased learning in the arts disciplines. 

JGF hopes to recruit more fellows from universities throughout South Africa who have a strong passion and love for education and invites the “very best” to teach South Africa’s future generations because all students deserve a “switched-on, compassionate and excellent teacher to help unlock their own potential,” says Watson.  

Students who are choosing to complete their postgraduate certificate of education can apply for the Jakes Gerwel Fellowship online by completing an eligibility quiz and filling in an application form. 

FEATURED IMAGE: The Jakes Gerwel team at a #BeATeacher event in South Africa, promoting teaching as an aspirational career. Photo: Supplied.

RELATED ARTICLES:

Success can be engineered through holistic education

Individualised learning, teacher development, educational resources, infrastructure and parental involvement are all needed if students are to excel.

Parental involvement is key in achieving academic success – this was one of the takeaways from a seminar on holistic education hosted by Mookodi Mokoatl, an engineering student at Wits University.

The seminar, titled ‘Holistic Investment in Education’ was facilitated by Mokoatle at Wits main campus on April 21, 2023.

“We cannot expect, especially black parents, who were never exposed to the same education system to support their children education-wise. That is why Lehae Arcadia is there to bridge that gap, to support parents and show them different ways to involve them in their children’s educational lives,” Mokoatle said.

He added that that lack of adequate resources and infrastructure are among the disadvantages that prohibit quality education, and actively distress and derail teachers and lecturers in the facilitation of classes.

“The goal is to promote a more sustainable and equitable future for all through comprehensive learning,” he said.

Guest speaker, Dr. Ben Mahadu, associate lecturer at Wits said, “Education needs financial resources because ultimately, it needs to produce marketable graduates who will know how to communicate, who will understand leadership skills and know how to do presentations.”

Another guest speaker, Dr. Bernard Langton, college principal at CBC Mount Edmund said, “We need to probate the private sector, which is the business sector, to get involved in education.”

Langton emphasised collaboration across sectors and reminded attendees that while “the legacy of apartheid is present, we can’t always blame the apartheid regime”.

David Saleh, one of the attendees and Mokoatle’s colleague said, “The seminar has helped me understand my purpose, that I am here to innovate and to impact change, and simply not be a workforce.” Bachelor of Education student, Kamogelo Chauke said, “I attended the seminar with intention. Hopefully, we can start our own Holistic Education Institution that will break beyond the boundary of the current curriculum.”

Mookodi hopes to use his engineering expertise to further develop his educational consulting company, Lehae Acadia and hopes that one day he could become a teacher because of his great passion for education.

FEATURED IMAGE: From the left: guest speaker Dr Ben Mahadu, Dr Bernard Langton, host and CEO of Lehae Arcadia Mookodi Mokoatle, CEO of AnalyticsX Talifhani Banks and David Saleh at the far right are listening to Dr Irene Kamar as she renders her presentation at the seminar. Photo: Mojela Mahlatsi /Supplied

RELATED ARTCLES: