This article examines the notions of gated communities, heterotopia, and how the six principles of heterotopia fit into a South African context. Gated communities are thought to have grown as a result of people’s increased fear of crime. Most people are attracted to gated communities because of their promise of great security. The physical barriers that are formed in order to separate the people within and the people outside the walls lead to social exclusion. In South Africa, Whitewhite middle-class residents are usually found in these communities; however, even black people are residents as long as they have the money to pay. Gated communities are growing rapidly in a lot of countries including Brazil, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Gated communities are seen as heterotopia. In this essay, I aim to prove that heterotopia is a characteristic of contemporary South Africa as it is shown in the lives and experiences of rich white people who live in the suburbs and the poor black people who live in the townships.

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