The extent of child labor in South Africa depends on how the term is defined, how a child is defined, and the age of children reported in the data. The data clearly indicate that many children in South Africa are obliged to work. Children work as part of family life, carrying out school maintenance, and working on farms or in service positions. Some jobs are neither harmful nor exploitative while others certainly are. The history of child labor in the country parallels the disorder brought about by colonialism which displaced people and dislocated farming economies. This piece discusses what is known about the history of child labor in South Africa as well as child labor today and in the future.
