South Africa is a country poorly understood in the wider world. There are two main views of the country that persist in the international consciousness and which are often propagated by South Africans themselves. One view holds that after the end of apartheid South Africa’s problems were at an end. The other claims that a coterie of criminals is turning one of Africa’s few success stories into another Zimbabwe. Both are inaccurate. This book provides a balanced look at the country and points to the real centres of power, which do not include its government.