The biggest challenges faced by South African students are the economic disaster of not having a designer-label outfit to a gala, the psychosis of choosing which luxury car to drive to an elite private school in Cape Town, and the tragedy of having to clean up a beach-house after a party, according to Netflix sensation Blood & Water. Not Mapula from Rhythm City who, at 17, had to balance studying, working, and taking care of her four siblings after her parents passed. Not Sonja from 7de Laan, who balanced her studies and motherhood while being forced to be financially independent at a young age. Not Ntokozo from Gomora, who tries to balance his studies while also trying to assist his family back home.
The call for accurate representation is not just one of inclusivity, but expands to how societies interact and accept one another. Students are represented in various ways in mainstream media through films and series, but none of them are localised to the realities of students in South Africa. We see American teen dramas like Riverdale, Pretty Little Liars, and Never Have I Ever, which only touch on stereotypical social challenges occurring in high school, and even series that do aim to show the “university experience”, like Gossip Girl and Gilmore Girls, fall flat as they do not skim the surface of hardships students face. Throughout a student’s entire academic career, a student’s “social” leisure time seems to be the only time that they possess in these series – not the hours spent leading to burnout, not the socio-economic struggles. Often, the university experience is seen as parallel to the high school one when they are not even comparable.
A show that aims to represent South Africa to the public like Blood & Water falls flat by being set in a privileged private school. Does this mean success in Africa should not exist, or that only suffering should be represented? Absolutely not. However, representation allows every single person to become a stakeholder in avenues where their experiences have been neglected. Intersectionality and diversity should exist in our media.
A common discussion point is whether “representation” can lead to institutional change. Representation is not going to fix systemic issues overnight. Education is not going to become free, NSFAS is not going to become more competent, and GBV continues even after years of activism. However, representation does shape the perception of people and the sensitivities thereof.
A lecturer at the University of Pretoria shares their experiences of being both a lecturer and a student in contemporary South Africa. The challenges that arise with students who come from disadvantaged backgrounds have been and still are prevalent. More than 50% of university students are on NSFAS funding – there have been extensive discussions but no change. These students are expected to balance rigorous academic programmes while learning vital computer literacy skills they did not have access to – which arguably is a medium that a university career depends on. Safety, food, and accommodation are also a concern for students.
Students being conscious of the challenges they face prevents them from being in the position where they have to choose between going to an event with their friends or having food for the week. University event organisers and student-led societies need to be cognisant of the implications when adding a price tag to student events. Students should be able to attend events without worrying about whether they can afford it. Similarly, students may have to choose between attending a workshop that could benefit their career or not going, as safety back home is a concern. Organisers have to understand that students take their wellbeing into account before doing anything. No student should have to go to an event in an unsafe manner. Transport should always be provided to protect against any possible harm.
The media has the ability to bring forward and normalise struggles that are still seen as invisible. Through the portrayal of narratives, the public gets to actually live a person’s lived experience, the consequences of it and its context. It encourages the integration of students’ challenges as people are more cognisant of who is around. No student should feel ashamed as they acquire the necessary word skills to type a document. No student should feel ashamed to speak in class because their accent is different to the rest. No student should avoid support structures like the student transformation, counselling, or health services because they are seen as “taboo”. No student should ever be a victim of their circumstances – and the media is the most direct way to change this. There is a reason Mapantsula was censored in 1988: it is because of the effect media can have.
Mapantsula was the first South African-produced anti-Apartheid film that did not only show the struggles of systemic oppression, but additionally the lived experiences of Black people. It was produced under a fake guise and existed through pirated copies for years to tell its story. The Apartheid government censored films like these because they gave the world real insight into the brutality that South African people faced – it was the first form of media that depicted Apartheid from the perspective of people who experienced it. It validated the global anti-Apartheid message, further encouraging global sanctions and boycotts even though they already existed. The call for change was there, and Mapantsula only amplified it. It was not a political leader, nor an organisation, but a film.
Accurate representation does not solely provide a voice but also acts as a vehicle for social change. Films and series are consumed in large amounts by students (and to be honest, everyone). The way groups are represented gives real context to the lived experiences of people, shapes perception, and can fix indirect ignorance. Unwitting ignorance is something that can only be fixed if one is made aware of it – and using films and series as a catalyst to fix this has effects.
Having accurate representation pushes for the media to mean something greater than entertainment. Students in tertiary education are already underrepresented globally, and the struggles that South African students face are not as cookie-cutter as one thinks. Internalising these experiences is the only way to move forward as a society towards one that is inclusive and sensitive to all people, especially for university students who are the future.
