Asians in South Africa constitute two per cent of South Africa's population, and most are of Indian origin, although there is also a small Chinese community (sometimes classified as Coloured (mixed race) or White under Apartheid) [1]. Traditionally the group does not include the "Cape Malays", descended (at least in part) from South East Asians, who were classified as "Coloured" under apartheid. The term Asian is usually regarded as synonymous with Indian in South Africa. KwaZulu-Natal (often referred to as KZN) is a province of South Africa. ... South African English is a dialect of English spoken in South Africa and in neighbouring countries with a large number of Anglo-Africans living in them, such as Botswana, Namibia, and Zimbabwe. ... is an Indo-Aryan language, part of the greater Indo-European language family. ... Telugu (తెలుగు) is a Dravidian language primarily spoken in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, where it is the official language. ... Hindi (Devanagari: or  ;; IPA: ), an Indo-European language spoken mainly in northern and central India, is one of the official languages of the Union government of India. ... Tamil ( ; IPA ) is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamils in India and Sri Lanka, with smaller communities of speakers in many other countries. ... Hinduism (known as in some modern Indian languages[1]) is a religion that originated on the Indian subcontinent. ... Islam (Arabic:  ) is a monotheistic religion based upon the teachings of Muhammad, a 7th century Arab religious and political figure. ... Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament. ... This article deals primarily or exclusively with the definition of Asian in English-speaking countries, mainly referring to immigrants or descendants of immigrants living therein. ... This article is about the South Asian people. ... The term British Asian is used to denote a person of South Asian ancestry or origin, who was born in or was an immigrant to the United Kingdom, former heartland of the British Empire. ... In the South African and Namibian context, the term Coloured (also known as Bruinmense, Kleurlinge or Bruine Afrikaners) refers to a rather heterogeneous group of people of mixed Khoisan, white European descent, Malay, Malagasy, Black (Bantu), and South Indian ancestry, especially in the Western Cape. ... The Cape Malay community is an ethnic group or community in South Africa, taking its name from what is now known as the Western Cape of South Africa and the people originally from the Malay archipelago who started this community in South Africa. ... Location of Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is a subregion of Asia. ... A segregated beach in South Africa, 1982. ...

Indians

Main article: Indian South Africans

Indians in South Africa are descended from indentured labourers who were brought by the British from India in the 19th century, mostly to work in sugar plantations or mines (especially, coal) in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and later also from trades men who emigrated to South Africa. Indian South Africans form the largest group in the world of people of Indian descent born outside India, ie:born in South Africa, not having migrated there. This contrasts with the position in the U.S where, although there is a large population of Indians, most were not born in the U.S but migrated from India. Indian South African is a compromise term for non-Europeans who arrived in South Africa from colonial India. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... KwaZulu-Natal (often referred to as KZN) is a province of South Africa. ...

Culture

Religion

Major religions

Indian South Africans are predominantly Hindu but Muslims and Christians were important from the beginning of the big wave of immigration in 1860. This article discusses the adherents of Hinduism. ... Islam in South Africa probably predates the colonial period, and consisted of isolated contact with Arab and East African traders. ...

Other religions

Small groups of Parsis or Zoroasterians, descendents of the Persians who fled to India when Islam entered Iran/Persia, as well as Buddhists are found among Indian South Africans. There are Arab and Lebanese Muslims and Christians too, although those of lighter skin were considered white, while others accepted "Asian" as designations during the apartheid era.

Languages

English is the first-language of most Indian South Africans,although a small minority of them especially the elders still speak some Indian languages such as Hindi,Tamil,Telugu,Urdu and Gujarati as first language.But in overall English is still the first language they use for communication. Hindi (हिन्दी) is a language spoken mainly in North and Central India. ... Tamil ( ; IPA ) is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamils in India and Sri Lanka, with smaller communities of speakers in many other countries. ... Telugu (తెలుగు) is a Dravidian language primarily spoken in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, where it is the official language. ... (اردو), historically spelled Ordu, is an Indo-Aryan language of the Indo-Iranian branch, belonging to Indo-European family of languages. ... is an Indo-Aryan language, part of the greater Indo-European language family. ...

Media and entertainment

Although Indian languages are seldom spoken or understood by younger Indians, English-subtitled Bollywood films and television programmes remain popular among South African Indians. These are broadcast both by the South African Broadcasting Corporation's SABC 2 television channel for a few hours each week (Eastern Mosaic on Sundays), and by the DStv satellite television service, which carries Zee TV, B4U, NDTV and a Hindi language Sony channel, as well as Sun TV and KTV, both Tamil language channels, introduced in 2004. DVD and video versions of Bollywood films are widely available, and large movie theatre chains like Ster-Kinekor increasingly show Bollywood films. Indian culture in South Africa has some similarities to the worldwide Desi subculture, although the term Desi is almost unknown in South Africa. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Closed captioning. ... Bollywood (Hindi: , Urdu: ) is the informal name given to the popular Mumbai-based Hindi language film industry in India. ... SABC logo The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) is the state owned broadcaster in South Africa, and was for many years the monopoly, controlled by the white minority National Party government. ... SABC 2 is a South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) television channel that carries programming in English, Afrikaans and various African Languages. ... Digital Satellite Television (also known as DStv) is MultiChoices multi-channel digital satellite TV service in Africa, launched in 1995. ... Artists impression of a Boeing 601 satellite, as configured for digital television transmission by SES Astra Satellite television is television delivered by way of communications satellites, as compared to conventional terrestrial television and cable television. ... Zee TV is an India-based satellite television channel in the Zee Network umbrella, which carries broadcasts in Hindi and Urdu. ... NDTV (New Delhi Television Limited) is one of Indias largest television production houses. ... Sony Entertainment Television Asia, popularly known as SET Asia, is one of India’s popular Hindi-language based international general entertainment broadcasters. ... Tamil ( ; IPA ) is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamils in India and Sri Lanka, with smaller communities of speakers in many other countries. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... DVD (commonly known as Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Disc) is an optical disc storage media format that can be used for data storage, including movies with high video and sound quality. ... The video cassette recorder (or VCR, less popularly video tape recorder) is a type of video tape recorder that uses removable cassettes containing magnetic tape to record audio and video from a television broadcast so it can be played back later. ... A typical multiplex (AMC Promenade 16 in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California). ... Ster Kinekor is a South Africa-based cinema (movie theatre) company. ... This article is about the South Asian people. ...

The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) also has an Indian-oriented radio service called Lotus FM, launched during the apartheid era. The Sunday Times has a supplement distributed in Indian areas called the Extra. SABC logo The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) is the state owned broadcaster in South Africa, and was for many years the monopoly, controlled by the white minority National Party government. ... Lotus FM is leading Radio station in South Africa. ... ...

History

Origins

The first batch of Indians came on board the Truro in 1860. They were followed by others who were also imported as indentured labourers to work on the Sugarcane plantations of Natal. The rest are descended from Indian traders who migrated to South Africa shortly afterwards, many from the Gujarat area. KZN's largest city, Durban, has the largest Asian population in sub-Saharan Africa and South Africa as a whole has got the largest population of people of Indian descent born outside of India.Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi worked from 1893 as a lawyer in South Africa in the then Colony of Natal, and the Transvaal Republic, where the city of Pretoria is located. The Truro was the ship (from Madras) containing the first batch of 342 indentured Indian labourers to arrive in Durban on 16 November 1860. ... Indetured servitude is when a persons passage to America is payed for an American Colonist and then the foreigner must work for the american for a certain amount of time (usually 7 years) and then the person is free to do what they please. ... Species Saccharum arundinaceum Saccharum bengalense Saccharum edule Saccharum officinarum Saccharum procerum Saccharum ravennae Saccharum robustum Saccharum sinense Saccharum spontaneum Sugarcane or Sugar cane (Saccharum) is a genus of 6 to 37 species (depending on taxonomic interpretation) of tall grasses (family Poaceae, tribe Andropogoneae), native to warm temperate to tropical regions... Gujarātlanguage|GujarātÄ«]]: , IPA: ,  ) is a state in the Republic of India. ... Durban (Zulu: eThekwini (IPA: ) is the second most populous city in South Africa, forming part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. ... A geographical map of Africa, showing the ecological break that defines the sub-Saharan area A political map showing national divisions in relation to the ecological break (Sub-Saharan Africa in green) Sub-Saharan Africa is the term used to describe those countries of the African continent that are not... Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (Gujarati: , Hindi: , IAST: mohandās karamcand gāndhÄ«, IPA: ) (October 2, 1869 – January 30, 1948), was a major political and spiritual leader of India and the Indian independence movement. ...

Apartheid

Discriminated against by Apartheid legislation like the Group Areas Act, Indians were forcibly moved into Indian townships, and had their movements restricted. They were not allowed to reside in the Orange Free State, and needed special permission to enter that province. They were also, as a matter of state policy, given an inferior education compared to white South Africans. A segregated beach in South Africa, 1982. ... The Group Areas Act of 1950 (Act No. ... Children in a township near Cape Town in 1989 In South Africa, the term township usually refers to the (often underdeveloped) urban residential areas that, under Apartheid, were reserved for non-whites (principally black Africans and Coloureds, who were put into separate townships or locations) who lived near or worked... Flag of the Orange Free State Capital Bloemfontein Language(s) Afrikaans, English Religion Dutch Reformed Church Government Republic President  - 1854 - 1855 Josias P. Hoffman  - 1855 - 1859 Jacobus Nicolaas Boshoff  - 1859 - 1863 Marthinus Wessel Pretorius (also President of the South African Republic from 1857 to 1871). ...

The University of Durban-Westville (now part of the University of KwaZulu-Natal) was built with a dollar-for-dollar or Rand-for-Rand contribution from Indians and the government in the 1970s, so that Indian students would not have to brave the waters by taking a ferry to Salisbury Island's abandoned prison that served as their university until then. Formerly, a University situated in Westville, Durban built in the 1970s. ... It has been suggested that University of Durban-Westville be merged into this article or section. ...

Indians in South Africa were (and sometimes still are) referred to by the racial epithet coolie by racists. The following is a list of ethnic slurs, also known as ethnophaulisms, that are, or have been, used to refer to members of a given ethnicity (or, in some cases, nationality, region, or religion) in a derogatory or pejorative manner. ... Coolie labourer circa 1900 in Zhenjiang, China. ...

In 1983, the Constitution was reformed to allow the Coloured and Indian minorities a limited participation in separate and subordinate Houses of a tricameral Parliament, a development which enjoyed limited support. The Indian house was called the House of Delegates. Some aspects of Indian life were regulated by this house, including education. The theory was that the Indian minority could be allowed limited rights, but the Black majority were to become citizens of independent homelands. These separate arrangements were removed by the negotiations which took place from 1990 to provide all South Africans with the vote. 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... In the South African and Namibian context, the term Coloured (also known as Bruinmense, Kleurlinge or Bruine Afrikaners) refers to a rather heterogeneous group of people of mixed Khoisan, white European descent, Malay, Malagasy, Black (Bantu), and South Indian ancestry, especially in the Western Cape. ... Tricameralism is the practice of having three legislative or parliamentary chambers. ... The House of Delegates is the name given to the lower house of the legislature in three U.S. states – Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia. ... Map of the black homelands in South Africa as of 1986 Map of the black homelands in Namibia as of 1978 Bantustan is a territory designated as a tribal homeland for black South Africans and Namibians during the apartheid era. ...

Post-apartheid

Indians played an important role in the anti-apartheid struggle, and a few rose to positions of power after the 1994 elections in South Africa. After the end of apartheid, it seemed like many Indians, particularly the poor, had begun to support formerly white parties such as the Democratic Alliance and New National Party, as they felt threatened by the policies of the ruling African National Congress. This trend appeared to have been reversed in the 2004 elections, with most historically Indian areas voting for the ANC. 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by United Nations. ... The Democratic Alliance (DA) is a liberal South African political party, and the official opposition to the ruling African National Congress. ... The New National Party (NNP) was a South African conservative political party formed when the National Party pulled out of the Government of National Unity with the African National Congress and decided to change its name in the process. ... For political parties with similar names in other countries, see Northern Rhodesian African National Congress and Zambian African National Congress. ... Legislative elections were held in South Africa on Wednesday, 14 April 2004. ...

Following the end of apartheid, a new wave of South Asian immigration commenced, paralleling the movement of Africans from the diaspora and neighboring African countries to the New South Africa, some of whom are illegal, or obtain their residency by dubious means. This article is about the geopolitical region in Asia. ...

Indians are considered black for the purposes of Employment Equity, and are thus eligible for affirmative action,although some of them feel discriminated against for "not being black enough". Affirmative action (US English), or positive discrimination (British English), is a policy or a program providing advantages for people of a minority group who are seen to have traditionally been discriminated against. ...

Chinese

Main article: South African Chinese

The much smaller Chinese community was initially descended from migrant workers who came to work in the gold mines around Johannesburg in the late nineteenth century, although many were repatriated. They are now vastly outnumbered [2] by more recent Chinese immigrants, including immigrants from Taiwan, with which apartheid South Africa maintained diplomatic relations. This caused difficulties for the apartheid regime, as Chinese South Africans from Mainland China were classified as 'non-white', whereas Taiwanese, along with Japanese, were considered honorary white, and thus granted the same privileges as whites. Many Chinese South Africans have since emigrated to Canada, particularly Ontario[3]. This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... City motto: Unity in Development Province Gauteng Mayor Amos Masondo Area  - % water 1,644 km² 0. ... A segregated beach in South Africa, 1982. ... Motto: Ut Incepit Fidelis Sic Permanet (Latin: Loyal she began, loyal she remains) Official languages English (de facto) Capital Toronto Largest city Toronto Lieutenant-Governor James K. Bartleman Premier Dalton McGuinty (Liberal) Parliamentary representation  - House seats  - Senate seats 106 24 Area Total  - Land  - Water  (% of total)  Ranked 4th 1,076...

In late 2006, it emerged that the Chinese Association of South Africa was preparing legal action to have Chinese recognised as having been disadvantaged under Apartheid, in order to benefit from Black Economic Empowerment. Complicating this attempt is the presence of immigrant Chinese who were not disadvantaged by Apartheid, and vastly outnumber locally born Chinese. A further complication is the less lenient restrictions faced by Chinese under Apartheid, and the honorary white status of Taiwanese and Japanese under Apartheid [4]. Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) is a program launched by the South African government to redress the inequalities of Apartheid by giving previously disadvantaged groups (black Africans, Coloureds and Indians) economic opportunuties previously not available to them. ...

The term Indian is far more commonly used than Asian, in South Africa, although examples of both usages can be found. In South Africa Asian is, in most cases, regarded as synonymous with Indian.

See also

• Desi
• Demographics of South Africa
• Culture of South Africa
• South African English
• Overseas Chinese

This article is about the South Asian people. ... Until 1991, South African law divided the population into four major racial categories: blacks (African), whites, coloureds, and Asians. ... There is no single Culture of South Africa. ... South African English is a dialect of English spoken in South Africa and in neighbouring countries with a large number of Anglo-Africans living in them, such as Botswana, Namibia, and Zimbabwe. ... Languages various Religions Predominantly Taoism, Mahayana Buddhism, traditional Chinese religions, and atheism. ...

External links

• 2001 Digital Census Atlas
• History of Indian Settlement
• Indian Chronology