Expat Community > South Africa

justyna
Joined 2009
Posts: 1

BEE - Black, White or Coloured?

15 years ago

I am very seriously considering immigrating to South Africa, but am worried about the BEE laws. I am not complaining about the laws, but rather concerned as to where I fit in terms of South African notions of 'race.'

I was born in Poland, to a Polish mother and Moroccan father. My father is half Arab, half Berber ('indigenous North African'). I have Canadian and Polish citizenship, and also Moroccan (and therefore African) citizenship but I do not carry a Moroccan passport.

I never call myself white; of course I am 'caucasian' if such a thing exists, but I am light 'brown'-skinned for lack of a better term.

I think if I moved to South Africa, I would be judged by employers on the basis of my father's North African/Arab heritage, or on the flipside, entirely on my being born in Europe.

If I move to South Africa, it is important that I am not recognized as being white. So how does it work? When I apply for permanent residency, do I have to specify my race and/or nationality? Do I somehow get to choose where I want to fit in? Could I fit into the classification of 'coloured'? Are Arabs viewed as white or coloured?

I would be really upset to make the far move from Canada, only to realize I am considered white and therefore barred from the majority of jobs. Here in Canada, I am very clearly a visible minority, but by African standards, I may be seen entirely as white.

Could a South African shed some light on this issue?

William Russell

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BEE - Black, White or Coloured?

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