The more I learn about South Africa, the more difficult it is for me to understand. Today, while participating in an Idasa workshop, I heard some numbers that stuck with me.

South Africa considers the poverty line per person per month to be 450R, which is approximately $75. "Deep poverty" is 250R per person per month, which comes to around $40. In a country where unemployment rates oscillate between 40% and 60%, 75% of South African children live below the first poverty line, and over 50% live in "deep poverty."

This is so striking not because it makes South Africa unique among nations, but because it is among the richest African nations (possibly the richest?). The wealth is distributed so unevenly, and -- 10 years after the end of apartheid -- it's still divided mainly along racial lines. Despite the extremely high unemployment rates, if you're white and educated, a job shouldn't be too difficult to attain. I keep on being taken aback by how modern and Western some parts of Cape Town are, but I'm getting such a skewed vision of the city. It's no wonder crime is so high in a city where most people just don't have jobs, yet continue to watch their compatriots get richer and richer.