The theme of the book is how efficient economic organisation with clearly defined property rights in the framework of a market economy has made possible the development of the South African economy. The book is divided into three periods: 1910-33, 1933-61 and 1961-90. Each of them begins with a brief survey of the growth of population and GDP which is then followed by a more detailed sectoral analysis. The book represents an important general survey of the South African economy in the twentieth century and as such will be required reading for all interested in the making of the modern South African economy.

The South African Economy 1910-90 surveys the growth of the South African economy since 1910, when the four provinces came together to form the Union of South Africa. The theme of the book is that efficient economic organization made possible the remarkable growth of the South African economy, which over the years has had to contend with natural disasters, a backward but politically influential agricultural sector, a fixed gold price, the impact of two world wars, and finally the constraints on growth imposed by the apartheid policies since 1948. Gold fuelled the growth of the economy and enabled the government to subsidize agriculture in a way that was not usually possible for developing countries. It also led the South African government to pioneer many of the policies more commonly associated with the agricultural policies of the European Economic Community. Gold, however, has been a mixed blessing, and since 1973 the dramatic rise in its price has not been accompanied by a boom in the growth rate. In fact, it led to a marked deceleration in the rate of growth and triggered a burst of inflation that is still ravaging the South African economy. Since leaving the Commonwealth in 1961 South Africa has experienced an industrial revolution that has made her the powerhouse of Africa, but accompanying this industrial transformation there occurred a population explosion that increased the need for foreign investment just at the time when anti-apartheid campaigns were making this impossible. As a result, the 1980s saw a decline in white incomes and an increase in black unemployment.

Describes economic development from 1960 to 1986, including a chapter on the economies of South Africa's black states.

The paper was originally intended to contain a general survey of the economic development of the Republic of South Africa, with emphasis on its industrialization, for use in a graduate seminar discussion. However, in the course of assembling data, much of which was generously provided by the South African government's informational services in the United States, it became apparent that it is virtually impossible to consider any human enterprise in South Africa without some reference to the racial issues that are inevitably involved. There is, in addition, the fact that South Africa's racial policies have been the subject of international censure for a number of years. However, while South Africa has been able to largely ignore these pronouncements because of its advanced economy, it appears now that this situation will not be able to continue much longer. In view of the foregoing, an effort has been made to expand upon this summary of South Africa's economy and place it within the context of the internal and external political factors that have influenced its development and will determine its future. (Author).

The Emergence of Modern South Africa views economic conflict, specifically the interaction of the state, big business, and labor, as the central issue in the development of South Africa. Yudelman focuses on the labor-management conflict in the country's gold fields in the early decades of this century, a time and place critical to the development of the state. At that time government walked a tightrope between supporting big business (to ensure economic growth) and appeasing the workers (to remain in power). Yudelman demonstrates how a symbiotic alliance between the mining companies and the state successfully subjugated the workers, and points out that this unique relationship continues to this day, dominating every aspect of life in South Africa. David Yudelman's historical analysis and lengthy epilogue on the 1970s and 1980s shed light on today's economic unrest and those conflicts to come. His book also shows how the South African case provides early and important insights into the development of the state-business symbiosis in industrial societies everywhere.

This book examines five hundred years of South African economic history.