Born Free? South African Young Adults, Inequality, and Reconciliation in Stellenbosch

Abstract

Despite the demise of apartheid, economic inequality remains racially skewed in South Africa. For young people born either shortly before or after 1994, the official demise of apartheid—termed “born frees”—we must ask whether they are indeed “free” of the social and economic constraints of the past. How does ongoing inequality color notions of reconciliation and restitution twenty-five years later? This article focuses on the context of Christian young adults living in Stellenbosch, one of the most unequal towns in South Africa. We explore their lived experiences and theologizing on these issues arising from empirical research in Stellenbosch.