South Africa By The Numbers: Why Changing The Laws Was The Easy Part

48 million people live in South Africa.

23 percent of the population is unemployed.

12 million live in shacks.

Nearly 6 million have HIV.

The life expectancy at birth is 45 years with little difference between men and women.

Nearly 80 percent of the population is black African while the white population is less than 10 percent. Yet the average annual income of the white household of R280,870 (US $38,000) is 7.4 times higher than the African household of R37,711 (US $5,100).

Infrastructure, including roads, electrical service, educational and health facilities, are crumbling faster than they can be repaired.

Photograph copyright Susan Winters Cook