South Africa’s farmer’s market, or Boeremark, outside Pretoria paints a peaceful picture of traditional Afrikaner life.
On a Saturday morning, the aroma of pancakes and the sound of country music fill the air as thousands of Afrikaners browse the market.
Here, signs in Afrikaans advertise staples of the culture: koeksisters (braided doughnuts), melkkos (cinnamon-sprinkled porridge), and biltong (cured meat).
The Image of Tradition and Peace
The market is a serene place, offering an oasis of tranquility in stark contrast to the often heated rhetoric surrounding the future of South Africa’s white Afrikaner community.
The marketplace, with its blend of local flavors and language, symbolizes the deep ties that Afrikaners have to their culture and heritage.
But as some people walk around the market, a sense of unease lingers.
While the market offers a glimpse of old traditions, fears of persecution are not far from the minds of some attendees.
Growing Concerns of Afrikaner Victimhood
Jewelry vendor Cesere Smith, 54, expresses the sentiments of a few others at the market when she says that as a “white person and a boer,” she feels like a victim of “reverse racism.”
Despite the peaceful atmosphere, Smith shares a troubling sense of fear about the future of her people in post-apartheid South Africa.
“There is trouble coming,” she vaguely warns, echoing the views of others who feel increasingly threatened by the changing political and social landscape of their country.
Smith also welcomes the intervention of U.S. President Donald Trump, who offered refugee status to the white Afrikaner minority in February, a move that garnered thousands of applications from South Africans seeking refuge.
Historical Context and Afrikaner Identity
The Afrikaner community, largely descended from Dutch settlers who arrived in the Cape Colony over three centuries ago, remains a significant part of South Africa’s 7.3% white population.
Afrikaner-led governments established the apartheid system, which subjected the black majority to racial discrimination and denied them political and economic rights.
Although apartheid officially ended in 1994, its legacy persists, with inequality still deeply entrenched in the country’s social fabric.
Unemployment among white South Africans is over six percent, while the rate for black South Africans is more than 35 percent.
A Different Perspective on Afrikaner Fears
While there is a vocal minority that expresses fear and a sense of victimization, many are quick to challenge these claims. Max du Preez, a journalist and author, is one such voice.
He sharply criticizes the notion that Afrikaners are being persecuted, pointing out that material and cultural conditions for Afrikaners are far better now than in 1994.
According to du Preez, Afrikaans culture is thriving in South Africa with multiple TV channels, newspapers, and festivals catering to the language.
He calls the fear of persecution a “phantom pain,” highlighting that the crisis many Afrikaners fear is not a present reality but an imagined one. “Nothing is coming.
The last thing that will happen here is a race war,” du Preez asserts.
The Rise of Divisive Narratives
However, some Afrikaners feel disillusioned with the current state of affairs, particularly as they watch the post-apartheid economy struggle with issues like corruption and poor governance.
These concerns, says Professor Christi van der Westhuizen, author of books on Afrikaner identity, have made many susceptible to divisive narratives pushed by right-wing groups.
These groups, though not universally supported among Afrikaners, have gained traction, especially in the United States, where their claims about the safety of white farmers have found an audience.
Despite the fact that most of the victims of violent crimes in South Africa are young black men in urban areas, the myth of a “white genocide” continues to spread, even gaining traction with figures like Trump.
The Struggle for Afrikaner Identity in a Changing South Africa
A significant issue for many Afrikaners today is the perception that the government is attempting to limit the use of Afrikaans in schools, which adds to a growing sense of alienation.
The ongoing tension between redressing apartheid-era injustices and preserving Afrikaner culture is further fueled by the government’s efforts to implement policies on labor, business, and property ownership, all of which affect Afrikaners in ways that some view as discriminatory.
Seeking Reconciliation and Integration
In a small church room in Johannesburg, five men—black and white—gathered to discuss their shared mission: to bridge the racial divide in South Africa.
Among them is Trevor Ntlhola, 57, a pastor and former anti-apartheid activist, who is frustrated by the narrative of victimhood that some Afrikaners cling to.
He points out that the real victims of South Africa’s troubled past are the millions of black people who suffered under apartheid.
“This narrative of victimhood makes me sick,” he says. Fellow pastor Alexander Venter, 70, adds that the dismantling of apartheid allowed white people to avoid confronting their own role in the system. The racial tensions of the past have not disappeared; they have simply been buried.
The Path Toward a Unified South Africa
In response to the divisive rhetoric, Schalk van Heerden, co-founder of the Betereinders (“Better Enders”) movement, argues that true progress for South Africa lies in integration and reconciliation, not in division and separation.
His movement advocates for Afrikaners to be a part of the post-apartheid narrative, rather than retreating into self-governance.
“Our solution is integration,” says Johan Erasmus, another co-founder of the group.
Despite the challenges, Erasmus remains hopeful: “People have been betting against us (South Africa) for the last 30 years, but we are still here.”
This ongoing struggle for a balanced and unified South Africa continues to evolve as both Afrikaners and the broader population grapple with the complexities of history, identity, and the future of the nation.