Prospects and Challenges in Post-apartheid South Africa: Toward the Next Millennium

Although South Africa remains an economic and political bellwether of a mineral rich continent, its position could be in doubt within the context of the historicity and specificity of postcolonial Africa, with its debt crisis, political instability and civil wars. This essay argues that these conditions could be averted if the republic learns from the mistakes of other African countries by addressing the issues of leadership, education and poverty. In this way, South Africa’s democratic genre and economic success might serve as a model for the rest of Africa.