South Africa

Is a country in Africa, which has three capital cities. There are more than 10 official languages and interesting
history. South Africa is the second largest economy in the continent, and according to the World Bank, it
classifies as an upper middle income country. In reality, it faces serious issues such as poverty,
unemployment, low intergenerational mobility, violence and racism.

Brief history of South Africa (main events)

 1652: the Dutch colonizers arrive in South Africa. Africans are defeated and then forced to work in
serfdom.
 1806: the British steal the colony from the Dutch.
 1833: the British Empire ends slavery around the world, which angers the Afrikaners (Dutch colonizers).
 1869 – 1870: gemstones and gold are found in South Africa. Tension between the Afrikaners and the
British increases.
 1899 – 1902: the Afrikaners and the British are in war.
 1910: South Africa gains its independence from Britain, but it is still under the rule of the Afrikaners.
 1910 – 1948: there are new segregation policies. Black people are now allowed to own lands and must
carry passbooks.
 1948: the Afrikaner dominated Nationalist party is elected to power.
 1948 – 1994: apartheid becomes the new form of government.
 [1961]: Independence of South Africa

Apartheid Passbook
System of legal racial segregation. Non- Legal document. Non-white people were
whites were not welcome in white required to have one.
schools, neighbourhoods, beaches, etc.

Room 226 by Hilda Bernstein

1) Hilda is a woman living in South Africa, since his husband is South African. Set around 1950 – 1960,
Room 226 is a story about Hilda’s domestic servant, Bessie. This poor, hard-working woman came from
Newcastle to Johannesburg searching for a better job, having to leave her family behind.
In the story we learn about Bessie’s life. She faced terrible events such as the loss of a child and a
brother, her son Sampson growing familiar with crime and violence, and her daughter Nancy sharing her
mother’s fate. Bessie only wanted a home to share with her children.
Main characters: Hilda (protagonist) – Bessie (servant) – Sampson (Bessie’s son) – Nancy (Bessie’s
daughter)
3) Hilda: is the main character and narrator of the story. She shares the story of Bessie, stating that she will
never forget her.
Bessie: Hilda’s domestic servant. She came from Newcastle, looking for better opportunities. She had to
face the difficulties of living in the apartheid. Bessie had to look after her whole family; having little time for
herself.
Sampson: Bessie’s second child. He studied in Newcastle and then came to Johannesburg, after saving
some money, looking for a job. Because of the racial segregation system, he was never allowed to work or
live freely in South Africa, and ended up joining a gang (tsotsis).