Articles by Simone Schotte

Socio-economic class in South Africa: playing snakes and ladders with loaded dice

Simone Schotte, UNU-WIDER
reads 36,472

Experiences of poverty over time differ markedly. Out of four South Africans, two experience persistent poverty with few future prospects. Another one moves in and out of poverty, constantly struggling to make ends meet. Only one out of four is stably middle class or elite. The unequal risk of falling into poverty is related to characteristics such as race, education and geographic location. Being employed and the type of employment are key determinants of vulnerability to poverty.