In conclusion, South Africa is the most unequal country in the world. Due to Apartheid, inequality in SA was unusually high, however from 1999 it rose sharply reaching the highest in the world around 2005 and declining slowly from there

The top 20 percent of the population in South Africa holds over 68% of income vs 47% in emerging markets. While the bottom 40% holds 7% vs 16%

Income per capita in Gauteng is almost double the levels in Limpopo and Eastern Cape (food, clothing and shelter don't cost half in the poorer provinces making people there even worse off)

South Africa's economy has not created enough jobs to absorb the unemployed and new entrants to the labor market

South Africa's unemployment rate is significantly higher than in other emerging markets, with youth unemployment exceeding 50% today

From around 2009 fiscal policy has been used effectively to reduce inequality, particularly a progressive tax system coupled with effective a social safety net helped to somewhat reduce overall inequality (that was until an increase in VAT in 2018)

Source: https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2020/01/29/na012820six-charts-on-south-africas-persistent-and-multi-faceted-inequality