According to the 2011 Statistics South Africa Census, there were 4,586,838 white people in South Africa, accounting for 8.9% of the total population. There has been a 6.8% increase since the 2001 census. According to the 2011 Census, South African English is the first language of 36% of the white population group, while Afrikaans is the first language of 61% of the white population group. The majority of white South Africans identify as largely South African, regardless of their originating language or ethnicity.
In South Africa, those who identify as white are largely of European descent. They are essentially divided into two groups: Anglophone descendants of British immigrants to South Africa and Afrikaners, who speak Afrikaans and are descendants of the Dutch East India Company’s early settlers. In 2016, 57.9% of the population was native Afrikaans speakers, 40.2% were native English speakers, and 1.9% were native speakers of another language such as Portuguese, Greek, or German. By far the majority of white Africans are from South Africa. The term “white” was a legally recognised racial categorization during apartheid.
Ancestry
The majority of white people in South Africa are of European descent. They are roughly divided into Afrikaners, who speak Afrikaans and are derived from the Dutch East India Company’s earliest settlers, and Anglophone descendants of British immigration to South Africa. In 2016, native Afrikaans speakers made up 57.9% of the population, native English speakers made up 40.2%, and native speakers of other languages like as Portuguese, Greek, or German made up 1.9%. South Africa is by far the country of origin for the majority of white Africans. During apartheid, the term “white” was a legal racial classification.
In South Africa, are white people the majority or minority?
Whites in South Africa (5.5 million out of 40 million) are only now realising they are in the minority. They not only controlled the political, financial, and military sectors (a feat only majorities can achieve), but they also felt more truly South African than black or brown people (South Africa’s population is 40 million). There were numerous signs of this point of view. Even English-speaking whites might proclaim, “So-and-so is a true South African—he loves rugby, boerewors, and speaking die taal,” implying that true South Africans fit the white Afrikaner archetype.
