African Life
Where did many African women migrate to during the 1950s and 1960s to find work?
Towns and cities
How did the standard of living for white South Africans change during the 1960s?
It improved significantly.
Did foreign investment increase or decrease in South Africa during the 1960s?
Increased
Who became Prime Minister after Verwoerd’s assassination in 1966?
John Vorster
Give two types of employment available to African women in towns during the 1960s.
Domestic service, factory work, informal trading (e.g. selling beer), washing clothes, teaching, nursing, or municipal work.
What evidence from car ownership shows white prosperity in the 1960s?
Car production rose from 95,000 in 1960 to 195,000 in 1970, and whites had about one car for every three people.
What rate of return could foreign investors typically receive?
Between 15 and 20 percent.
What was the main role of the South African Defence Force (SADF) during the 1960s?
Defending borders and combating counter-insurgency.
What does the fact that only 342 African girls passed matric by the end of the 1960s show?
That access to higher education for African women remained very limited, despite social and economic changes.
By approximately how much did white per capita income increase during the 1960s?
By about 50 percent.
Why were gold and uranium particularly important to South Africa’s foreign economic relationships?
Gold grew in value by 85 percent, while uranium enabled nuclear agreements with countries such as West Germany, strengthening South Africa’s international economic position.
What change in 1967 increased the size of the SADF?
The introduction of conscription for white men.
How did Drum magazine reflect changes in African life during the 1960s?
It showcased township life, urban fashion, sport such as boxing and football, political events, and challenged traditional and Christian moral norms.
How did immigration affect white South African society during the 1960s?
Around 250,000 white immigrants arrived, bringing skills, capital, and helping offset falling white birth rates.
How did foreign trade change during the 1960s?
US trade grew by 79%, UK trade by 88%, and trade with Japan by 379%.
Why can South Africa by 1970 be described as a police or security state?
Defence spending rose sharply, police and military powers expanded, indefinite detention and torture were used, opponents were held for long periods, and repression became central to maintaining apartheid.
Why might increased social freedoms and economic opportunities have reduced some political activism among Africans during the 1960s?
Some Africans focused on personal advancement and urban lifestyles, which may have temporarily reduced political mobilisation despite continued apartheid repression.
Why did the National Party become more supportive of white immigration despite earlier concerns?
Many English-speaking immigrants began voting National Party, and immigrants brought needed skills, capital, and population growth without threatening white political dominance.
Give one piece of evidence that foreign investment stimulated economic growth.
Average economic growth was around 6 percent per year.
Why can South Africa by 1970 be described as a police or security state?
Defence spending rose sharply, police and military powers expanded, indefinite detention and torture were used, opponents were held for long periods, and repression became central to maintaining apartheid.