A/HRC/43/42/Add.1 II. Background 6. South Africa is the largest country in southern Africa, with a population of around 57.73 million.2 The country comprises nine provinces: Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, North West, and Western Cape. Around 51 per cent of the population are women, and about 29 per cent of the population are aged 15 years or less, while 8.5 per cent are aged 60 and above. 7. South Africa is a multi-ethnic society which encompasses a variety of cultures, languages and religions. It has 11 official languages: nine African languages, and Afrikaans and English. According to Statistics South Africa, around 80.9 per cent of the population identify as black African, 8.8 per cent as coloured, 2.5 per cent as Indian or Asian, and 7.8 per cent as white. South Africa is often known as the “rainbow nation”, on account of its diverse ethnic groups. 8. The economy of South Africa is the second-largest in Africa and the thirty-thirdlargest in the world.3 In recent years, slow economic growth has increased the poverty rate, from 16.8 per cent to 18.8 per cent.4 Unemployment remains a key challenge, standing at 27.6 per cent in the first quarter of 2019; the rate is even higher among youths, at around 55.2 per cent. South Africa has one of the highest inequality rates in the world. As at 2015, the richest 10 per cent of the population held around 71 per cent of net wealth, while the bottom 60 per cent of the population held 7 per cent of net wealth. 5 Furthermore, inequalities appear to be endemic and passed down from generation to generation, with little change over time. 9. South Africa has had a turbulent history marred by the scourges of racial discrimination, marginalization and inequality as a result of the apartheid era, which ended in 1994. The consequences of this era are still tangible in South African society. III. Persons with albinism 10. Albinism is a relatively rare, non-contagious, genetically inherited group of conditions that affects people worldwide regardless of ethnicity or gender. It results from a significant deficit in the production of melanin and is characterized by the partial or complete absence of pigment in any or all of the skin, hair or eyes. Persons with albinism often appear pale in comparison to members of their family and their community. In order for a person to be affected by albinism, both parents must carry the gene and, in that case, there is a 25 per cent chance that a child will be born with albinism at each pregnancy. The frequency of albinism varies by geographic region, worldwide. 11. The most common and visible type is oculocutaneous albinism, which affects all of the skin, hair and eyes. Nearly all human rights issues relating to albinism reported to date have been linked to the oculocutaneous form of albinism. A key physiological consequence of albinism is visual impairment, in nearly all cases. The severity of impairment varies from person to person. The other key physiological consequence is vulnerability to skin cancer, which is fatal when left untreated. Skin cancer accounts for a significant number of deaths of persons with albinism, particularly in sunny climates such as in most of the African region. Persons with albinism are commonly recognized as persons with disabilities. They have also been recognized by the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination as persons facing racial discrimination on the ground of colour. 6 Racial discrimination can occur on the basis of colour, even among those of the same race, descent, and national and ethnic origin as those who persecute them. 2 3 4 5 6 See www.statssa.gov.za/publications/P0302/P03022018.pdf. See https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sf.html. See www.worldbank.org/en/country/southafrica/overview. Ibid. See CERD/C/ZAF/CO/4-8. 3