It’s been 29 years since South Africa’s first democratic elections (27 April 1994), and there is a lot to reflect on since then. Understanding what it means to embody freedom has many different connotations as well. A famous Nelson Mandela quote about freedom says the following:

  “For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.”

Additionally, famous activist and singer Nina Simone said the following about freedom:

With this in mind, it is crucial to reflect on how we can ensure freedom is not only about celebrating the strides made since 1994 but also what it means to see freedom as a practice. I will take us through three examples of some prevalent socio-economic inequalities that still exist in South Africa (and the continent) today that require us to remain advocates for a just society.

Equality as a form of Freedom

The first one is gender equality. According to the National Strategic Plan on Gender-based Violence and Femicide, South Africa’s high rates of structural Gender Based Violence (GBV) is tied directly to an unequal country. What this means is that for vulnerable members of our population (women, children, LGBTQIA+ persons), the promise of freedom can only go far as it is written on paper. We need to be aware of how gender inequality affects all of us because how we treat marginalised bodies has ramifications on our own freedoms in the future.

The Freedom to Live in South Africa

As mentioned in my first blog post, my Master’s thesis explored the experiences of West African migrants living in South Africa. Although the study looked at a focus group, iterations of xenophobia against African migrants exist on a larger scale. Anti-immigrant sentiments in groups like Operation Dudula set a dangerous precedent for how we create ‘us vs. them’ mentalities, negating the Pan-African values necessary for socio-economic development and prosperity for all.

Freedom to obtain a good quality of life

This ties into the third inequity, which is the right to have a quality of life that enshrines human dignity. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) states that since 1990, 10% of the global population lives in extreme poverty (down from 36% in 1990). Yet if we are to contextualise this statistic in Africa, the wide gap in systemic inequality between Africa and the rest of the world highlights how much work can still be done. Eradicating poverty in Africa is crucial for promoting our freedom, as poverty can limit individuals’ ability to access education, healthcare, and economic opportunities. According to the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), Africa has the largest share of extreme poverty rates globally, with 23 of the world’s poorest 28 countries at extreme poverty rates above 30% By addressing poverty, we can improve the overall well-being of individuals and communities, empowering them to lead more fulfilling lives and participate in shaping their own future.

Final thoughts on freedom

By understanding freedom as a fundamental right that we all have, it is imperative that we know our power as a collective of human beings who want our planet to survive and thrive. As mentioned in the first quote by Mandela, the only way to ensure freedom as a practice is through practising compassionate concern for your fellow human being. Although the future remains somewhat unknown, now more than ever, it is important for us to be aware of our realities, and how they relate to others, and to trust that we are vigilantly building towards the kind of future we envision with kindness and hope. In the words of Nina Simone, without fear. We cannot contemplate without being aware that the impetus for change has evolved into something more foreboding than a ticking clock. As such, regardless of the work that we do, there is always a way to strive towards the betterment of humanity.

A group of people has emerged as a hot topic in contemporary media discourse in South Africa in recent years: slay queens. Slay queens, according to the number one pub quiz aficionado Wikipedia, is the following:

The term ‘slay queen’ was initially a term of positive empowerment used amongst women and queer communities – a person was ‘slaying’ (someone doing an amazing job or that they ‘killed it’, whether in life or performance), whilst being a ‘queen’ (referred to someone who looks good, someone who exudes excellence). The term slay queen came up in that people would question how these young women obtained their high-maintenance luxury lifestyle without having a blesser. Over time and through inter-cultural exchanges from the Global North to the Global South, the term has become a notorious archetype in the broader African context, where ‘slay queen’ no longer refers to its original definition, but is used to negatively describe the behaviours, attitudes and looks of certain black women. Therefore, what I’m hoping to do in my research is unpack what is unseen, the covert factors influenced by historical narratives that impact how we see black women in South Africa today. And so, my research is looking at:

• What is the definition of a Slay Queen in post-Apartheid South Africa?
• What contestations are there surrounding black femme archetypes and subjectivities in the South African context?
• What forms the basis of slay queens’ existence within postfeminist discourse in the South African context?

The theory that will tie my analysis together, is postfeminist theory. Postfeminism is the idea that since we have made socio-economic strides in gender equality, women’s empowerment is found through achieving some or all of the following: a good job, dressing well, a successful career, good looks, and/or a family. These factors would fall under what are called neoliberal markers of success. Another colloquial term for postfeminism is ‘girl boss feminism’, which focuses on the achievements of individual women in their careers and lives, not necessarily on collective empowerment.

Lebogang Masango, a South African anthropologist, published critical work in this area of study called ‘The Soft Life: Love, Choice and Modern Dating”, which uses a qualitative approach to study the dating lives of black women in South Africa. 

Additionally, a plethora of novel research has been done on the experiences of slay queens in the South African context. Lebogang Maphelela (2019)’s masters looked at how young black women studying at the University of Johannesburg were using their Instagram accounts to mobilise their social and economic capital by creating an audience and building a network.  Zawu (2020)’s thesis further studied the rise and normalisation of the blessee/blesser relationship in South Africa. So, it’s safe to say that there is growing literature on the topic, with space to explore it from new angles, including my own that specifically wants to look at slay queens through the lens of postfeminist theory.

As mentioned in my first blog, the political is personal, and the personal is political. Studying gender within my work has been something that has made the most sense to me as a self-defined feminist. When I tell people I’m studying slay queens, there is a range of reactions from different people. I’m in the second year of my research, so much still needs to be done before the thesis is completed. After getting my proposal approved, I am now in the process of obtaining ethical clearance, along with designing what my data collection will look like. Because this is a new area of exploration from a South African perspective, I hope to contribute to the growing literature on understanding black postfeminist ideals through a gendered lens in South Africa, Africa and within the diaspora.