ABSTRACT
One cannot go far in the province of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) without becoming aware of the Indian presence: of places of worship (temples and mosques); shops selling Indian foods, spices, clothing, books and musical instruments; posters advertising Indian movies; and flags (jhanda) fluttering from bamboo poles in many gardens. Although the total Indian population of the province forms only a small minority of the whole (9.4 per cent), it constitutes a very visible presence. The total number of Indian people in South Africa at present is just over one million (1,045,596 in 1996), approximately 2.6 per cent of the total population, and of these approximately:
• 62 per cent are Hindu • 19 per cent are Muslim • 13 per cent are Christian • 6 per cent belong to other religious or philosophical groups, or to none.
