Modern Mzansi families
- Marcia Moyana
South African families are not all nuclear and members are not necessarily related but innovative socioeconomic strategies enable thriving and connection.
How do families in South Africa and people living as family, thrive?
Over the years, Wits researchers have conducted several studies tracking the resilience of South African families and found that they thrive when the systems and emotional connections between members are secure and aligned.
These systems include social grants that arrive timeously, affordable childcare, the availability of quality healthcare services and violence-free environments.
But this isn’t always attainable in a country like ours. Aside from South Africa being one of the most unequal societies in the world, which creates its own immense economic pressure, our history also inhibits thriving systems. It’s got to do with roots and economics.
Uprooted
Historical migrant labour policies that restricted black and coloured communities from living together, while white families were allowed to move around as a unit, affects family structures today.
Dr Motlalepule Nathane-Taulela, a researcher in the Wits Department of Social Work, says that high inequality contributes to the heterogenous (diverse) nature of South African families, while the nuclear family is historically found in middle-class communities.
“Most South African households are either headed by women or children, and this is why family looks and means different things to different individuals. Evidence shows that black and coloured families were affected by apartheid policies and the situation has worsened over the years,” explains Nathane-Taulela.
The cost-of-living, rising food prices and high unemployment rates have resulted in people living at home longer or moving back. This structural heterogeneity (diversity) means that extended family networks are common in many South African homes.
“Families are not just blood families,” says Wits Professor of Psychology Maria Marchetti-Mercer. “Deep interpersonal connections can also be formed with other people who become significant in our lives."
This significance plays out in roles ranging from care and companionship to economic and practical.
Extended families and ‘work’
In modern Mzansi families, grandparents often live-in to provide childcare, while their adult children work and earn, which creates a shared support system.
Adaptive structures like these also challenge traditional gender roles. Job scarcity often leads to women participating in the informal market and becoming the breadwinners.
"This is [informal] work like selling goods or running childcare centres, which may challenge traditional gender roles and empower women-led households,” says Marchetti-Mercer.
Women are also going back to indigenous forms of socialisation and participating in stokvels and social clubs to save collectively, while churches start food gardens and offer counseling.
Informal labour and caregiving is still work and Nathane-Taulela emphasises that perceptions about informal work – where many only regard formal employment as legitimate labour – need to change.
"Children are more protected when women have an income,” says Nathane-Taulela. Arguably, recognising informal work as legitimate can help families to thrive.
Tech (dis)connects
Children either living with one parent or with extended family while their parents work in the city results in families relying on technology to sustain and nurture relationships. As such, technology has become both a lifeline and a barrier for South African families.
Cellphones and apps like WhatsApp make it possible for care to continue at a distance – giving children security and the assurance that they matter.
However, these connections are threatened by the digital divide caused by unequal digital connections and access to the internet.
“In order to be able to use technology such as cell phones and apps including WhatsApp, money is required to buy devices and data. Families experiencing financial stress must prioritise their needs and things like food, rent and school fees have to take precedence over data,” says Machetti-Mercer.
Dr Sarah Naicker, a researcher in the Wits Centre of Excellence in Human Development, emphasises that while digital tools can support learning, connection and access to health or parenting information – especially in remote areas – this tech can also displace interaction, increase sedentary behaviour and expose children to harmful content.
“Finding a balance is key,” says Naicker.
Structural support matters
South African families, though faced with economic, historical and systemic challenges, continue finding strategies to thrive.
Sometimes, simple things like quality time and emotional security may just be enough for families to have meaningful relations.
“Children who experience adversity but remain in emotionally supportive households have markedly better mental health and social outcomes as adults,” says Naicker.
Enabling systems and policies that integrate social protection, violence prevention, quality early learning, caregiver mental health support and inclusive digital access remain crucial to helping families thrive.
- Marcia Monyana is a freelance writer.
- This article first appeared in?CURIOS.TY,?a research magazine produced by?Wits Communications?and the?Research Office.
- Read more in the 20thissue, themed #Thrive, which explores what it truly means to flourish — across a lifespan, within communities, and on and with our planet.
- This feature is part of a series on what is required for us to thrive at each stage throughout our lives. Also read: