The dynamics within immigrant societies are complex and difficult to navigate. The Chinese community in Johannesburg is an example of this complexity. Within the Chinese South African community exists a group of young people who consider themselves more South African than Chinese. We meet this group and finds there is no real balance between traditional […]
Chinese migrants who arrive in South Africa with a lack of English depend on local shop assistants to help them speak to their customers. For shop owners and their assistants to understand each other, they have to come up with creative ways to communicate. By Palesa Radebe. Wishes Kondowe has been working at China Multiplex […]
This is a family portrait of the Sen Family. The Sens are a Chinese family living in Johannesburg. When Joy and Teddy Sen got married their worlds collided. Tradition met Modernism and they’ve had to find a way to raise their daughter Nicole in such a way that she will be able to to decide […]
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The shifting sands of tradition
The Sens are a family of Chinese heritage who reflect their South African roots in all they do. This story explores the life of this family that navigates its way between three distinct attitudes towards tradition and finds a middle ground that allows them to remain connected. By Nomatter Ndebele. The Sens are a Chinese […]
The long relationship the Chinese community has with South Africa can be traced as far back as the early 1600s. Their presence surged in the late 19th century following the discovery of gold. The Pon family, a well-known South African Chinese family in Johannesburg, first arrived here at this time. The history of this family […]
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Chinese in the kasi
The Chinese journey to South Africa is well documented. However, their story in parts of the country like Soweto is largely untold. The township was an area where the Chinese could settle and set up shop after the passing of the Group Areas Act of 1950. Since then, the Chinese presence in Soweto has flourished […]
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We too, are black
The Chinese South African community is small and keeps a low profile. Very little is said about their history in the country, about their history during apartheid. Emelia Motsai asks how they were affected by apartheid? Did they suffer like black groups or did they enjoy benefits bestowed only on white people? By Emelia Motsai […]
What do we really know about small Chinese businesses in Johannesburg? We might think of red lanterns, black-bean pastries, herbal teas, doll-like chiffon dresses and a fat, golden cat with a metronome paw. We delve a little deeper and speak to Chinese business owners about their struggles to fit in – and their struggles to […]