Fully updated, and coming up to the present day, with new material encompassing current concerns, such as African opposition to apartheid, international anti-apartheid activities and recent events, such as the election of Cyril Ramaphosa as President of the ANC, which have led to deeper consideration of the differing ideological approaches reflected in the history, the volume gives students, with no prior background in South African history, a full historical grounding for the current situation in South Africa and its position in the world.

African history, particularly global South African history encompassing as it does a site of historical racial tension, is popular in universities around the world, and with anniversaries approaching, such as the 25th anniversary of the democratic transition, and the 60th anniversary of the Sharpeville Massacre, this will only increase.

Even in its fourth edition it remains the only student-friendly text that focuses on the history of apartheid, as one of the most defining periods in modern history, as distinct from trying to provide a full account of the entirety of South African history.