Do you really know? Orania: what is this town that’s still reserved for white people?
Sep 15, 2025
Discover the intriguing town of Orania, a settlement still reserved for white residents in post-apartheid South Africa. Learn about its origins and how it reflects the country's stark income inequality, with a Gini index score of 63, the highest in the world. The podcast delves into the historical context of apartheid and the Afrikaners' identity. Gain insights into the ongoing effects of racial segregation in this unique community.
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South Africa's Extreme Inequality
- South Africa has a Gini index of 63, making it the world's most unequal country.
- Historical factors like colonialism and apartheid explain persistent, extreme inequality.
Apartheid's End Didn’t Erase Its Effects
- Apartheid legally separated people by race from 1948 and limited rights for black South Africans.
- Though abolished in 1991, apartheid's social and spatial effects continue to shape the country.
Orania: A Self‑Governing White Town
- Orania is a self-governing town of about 3,000 in the Northern Cape where the population is entirely white.
- It has its own flag, currency (the ora), and even a solar-powered electricity grid, and residents must be white, Christian, and Afrikaner.