Sport in South Africa. An overview of its cultural significance

Essay aus dem Jahr 2020 im Fachbereich Afrikawissenschaften - Kultur und Landeskunde, Note: 1.3, Universität Leipzig (Anglistik), Veranstaltung: Literaturwissenschaft: South Africa Today: Diversity in Literature and Culture, Sprache: Deutsch, Abstract: This essay focusses on the cultural significance of sport in South Africa. Xenophobia is a prevailing issue for South Africa’s society. The enrooted cultural legacy of apartheid gave, among others, way to this fact. Additionally, the regime legitimized the domination of whiteness. In fact, these aspects were mirrored in and transferred through the public institution of sport.Arguably, sport can be perceived as one of the most significant supporters of the regime, but also as a public communicator for hope, change and crucial partaker to overthrow this politic. Nowadays, sport vouches for South Africa’s reformed identity, the democratic Rainbow Nation. These developments are perceivable through the ongoing change of the characteristics of sport throughout the era of apartheid, to its end, and to contemporary events.