Continuity and Change in South African Social Movements: From Anti-Apartheid Struggles to Post-1994 Service Delivery Protests

Globally, social movements have emerged as one of the fundamental tools used by marginalized groups to challenge the status quo, structural inequalities, and power dynamics, among other issues. Accordingly, they not only seek immediate redress but also strive to reshape public discourse and influence long-term structural change. Similarly, the available literature highlights that social movements are not a relatively new phenomenon in South Africa, but existed even during the apartheid era, from 1948 to 1994. These movements played a fundamental role in mobilizing community resistance, unifying oppressed communities, and challenging the illegitimacy of the apartheid regime. Currently, social movements related to lack of services often manifest in what has been called “service delivery protests” and have played a significant role in shaping governance, especially at the local level of government. The chapter critically reflects on the evolution and the significance of social movements in South Africa. It presents its argument based on the relative deprivation theory and political opportunity structure theory. The chapter relies on the available literature to reflect on the shifts in nature, purpose, and tactics of protest action and their significance in shaping South Africa’s socio-political landscape. The chapter concludes by reaffirming that service delivery protests remain highly concentrated in areas such as townships and informal settlements, which were previously affected by the apartheid policies. Therefore, it recommends an area-based policy to prioritize spatially targeted investment strategies that repair historical infrastructure neglect and improve service delivery.