7 Up South Africa

The South Africa "Up" documentary TV series was made by Angus Gibson.

The series

The series, a spinoff of the British version, was started in 1992, when the country was in the death throes of apartheid. In it the producers interview 20 seven-year-olds from diverse backgrounds (black, white, rich and poor) about their lives in South Africa. The same children were interviewed for this series, based on the British are interviewed in seven-year intervals – at ages 7, 14, 21 and 28 – to track the changes and developments in their lives. Thus, there are four parts to the series:

7UP South Africa, 14UP South Africa, 21UP South Africa and 28UP South Africa. In 28Up South Africa the characters first interviewed in 1992 are revisited in 2013, now at age 28.

The total series, consisting of four parts, was broadcast by the Al Jazeera network and offers a longitudinal study of how South Africa’s social landscape has changed over time and explores how these changes impact the lives and character of those growing up in this context.