As most people know South Africa started to emerged out of decades of Apartheid brainwashing that the white race is superior to others in early 1990s. And so when I was at university between 1993-1995 I started noticing more and more interracial couples hanging out around town. It was almost like it was the in thing where white girls were seen with coloured or black guys – not so much the other way around. Since 2000 its certainly all more common place to see many variations of mixed couples in South Africa and indeed worldwide.

According to a recent HSRC survey, quoted in the Mail & Guardian feature: Love and Marriage in 2006 this is how different race groups supported interracial marriages

  • 43% Blacks
  • 38% Coloureds
  • 49% Indians
  • 61% Whites

Now I’ve noticed a particular trend among successful non-white South African women who end up in relationships with white men. And this is something beyond race. Here’s a brief list for your information:

  1. Jo-ann Strauss, former Miss South Africa and Top Billing presenter, a Coloured woman from Cape Town has a “German boyfriend, orthopaedic surgeon-model Michael Held.“
  2. Vanessa Marawa, Survivor SA winner, is dating a Jewish-American, Zach Leverenz.
  3. Pam Andrews, who I’ve met a few times is dating white talk show host, sometimes comedian Paul Viv.

Now why do you think these women date white guys instead of coloured or black guys? My theory is simply that the could not find black/coloured men who could measure up to their status, their intelligence and financially. If you take Jo-Ann Strauss and Vanessa Marawa, both models, they are exceptionally tall and this again probably makes it very difficult to find guys within their own racial or cultural backgrounds who are taller. There are many anecdotal evidence that shows that women prefer taller men. And I’m sure if I tried harder I could find the actual evidence to support this argument.