10 August 2015.
The Institute of Race Relations (IRR) in South Africa has released a report on the changing demographics of the country's middle class.
It found that the black middle class had grown to reach the same size as the white middle class for the first time.
It calculated a person's class based on factors such as property ownership, education level, workplace seniority, internet usage and banking habits.
20% of South Africans are now middle class. Further growth of the middle class, in particular the black middle class, is unlikely in the current economic climate, however.
The IRR predicts that it will only grow when South Africa's economy improves.
