South Africa: the challenge of social development

Following South Africa's transition from apartheid to majority rule, the co untry's new government declared its intention to implement a macro-developm ent approach, known as the Reconstruction and Development Programme, which would promote economic growth and, at the same time, raise the standards of living of the country's impoverished majority. This programme was accompan ied by the publication of a White Paper on developmental social welfare. Bo th give expression to social development ideas which had previously been po pular in international circles and which were being resurrected by the 1995 United Nations World Summit. This article discusses South Africa's engagem ent with social development and examines the challenges facing its attempts to implement this approach. The lessons learned from South Africa's experi ence of formulating and implementing social development policies and progra mmes can inform similar efforts elsewhere.