What effect did apartheid have on the lives of black South Africans?

Apartheid laws established a framework that, in the twisted logic of the state, legitimized a racist society.

Racial classification was used to categorize the population; being black meant that you were denied access to all basic human rights, such as adequate housing, health care, or education, as well as political rights like the ability to vote or protest.

Blacks' allowed places to live were governed by laws like the Pass Laws and the Homelands, which forbade inter-racial marriage and sexual relations.

Economically, black people were denied the ability to form associations like trade unions, to strike or protest, and to work in terrible conditions due to a lack of protection for health and safety. These factors made South Africa an attractive destination for foreign investment.

Any kind of resistance was met with violent suppression, and white police death squads frequently carried out beatings, tortures, and murders in addition to executions.