The Distributed AI Research Institute (DAIR) is a body of researchers, writers, and activists dedicated to implementing tools of AI to better understand social issues and inequities. One of their projects focuses on the evolution of Apartheid in South Africa (1948-1994). We used a sample of data from these two provinces within South Africa to conduct a pharmacy accessibility analysis and describe the spatial patterning of the results. Who and where has the most access? Who and where has the least? We consolidated data on pharmacies, South African demographics, and South African roadway networks to develop the features and variables for the final accessibility output. This output comes from a gravity model method called Enhanced Two-Step Floating Catchment Area. The results from this measurement indicate persistent spatial and racial inequality due to the legacy of Apartheid. Although abolished, the socio-spatial engineering from that era continues to influence social realities in South Africa presently.
