The stories are chosen on the basis of what democracy promised and people’s expectations. The underlying statement is that freedom does not come free. It has a price-tag, implications or some form of cost.

Althea Jarvis, commissioning editor at SABC Education explains, “Freedom is Not Free is a six-part series that explores the costs endured for South Africans to enjoy their freedom in 2016, 22 years into democracy. Some of the themes in this series are language, xenophobia, social media, age of consent, hair and Skin as well as entrepreneurship and conspicuous consumption. This season peels away the layers of challenges that most South Africans are currently faced with.”

“For example we now have the freedom to send our children to ‘better’ schools, but at what cost? They eventually lose their mother tongue and can only speak English. As you lose your mother tongue, gradually your culture is impacted. And so the dialogue continues,” says Jarvis.

Freedom Is Not Free airs on Mondays at 22:00 from 14 March on SABC1.