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South Africans, young and old, are reaping the benefits of living under a democratic government, with their lives improving for the better over the past 20 years.

Since the end of apartheid, the democratic government has drawn up policies, introduced programmes and set aside resources to provide South Africans with services and opportunities they did not previously enjoy.

As the country celebrates 20 Years of Freedom there is no denying that citizens now have access to better health care, homes, education and services than they did pre-democracy.

Early Childhood Development (ECD) is one of the areas that government has prioritised since 1994.

Government is helping millions of South Africans escape the burden of poverty every month by providing social grants.

Government has made great strides in creating jobs, uplifting communities and reducing poverty over the past 20 years.

Six months after joining the Eco Furniture project - a job creation initiative that produces eco-friendly furniture - Gugu Mbhele’s life has changed for the better.

As South Africa celebrates 20 Years of Freedom, the questions on everyone’s lips are what is freedom, what does it mean to be free and how have people benefited from freedom?

Vuk’uzenzele posed these questions to a range of South Africans.

Dumisani Boraga (MAFIKENG)

When it comes to freedom and democracy, no country has a better story to tell than South Africa.

South Africa is a success story and a better place to live in compared to 20 years ago.

The safety of all South Africans is one of government’s priorities. The South African Police Service (SAPS) is among those tasked with ensuring this safety and has made great strides in fighting crime over the past 20 years.

Although often criticised for not doing enough, many South Africans, like some of those who spoke to Vuk’uzenzele, are proud of our men and women in blue.

Increasing the police budget, launching a Police Academy and intensifying crime-fighting efforts are some of government’s efforts to strengthen police.