In 1964, amidst a climate of oppression and intimidation, arose an entity that would become a giant of Black South African empowerment – the National African Federated Chamber of Commerce & Industry (NAFCOC). In the 1940s, with the need for an organisation for informal black traders, the Orlando Traders Association was formed. However it was not until, after the Sharpeville uprisings, that NAFCOC was formed despite vehement objections by the government to the formation of a multi-ethnic chamber of commerce in South Africa. NAFCOC, as the voice of black business, became a vehicle for economic prosperity for a generation relegated to the sidelines of economic development by an unjust apartheid government. Black people were so marginalised that they were limited to operating subsistence-type businesses outside the mainstream of the economy. It was only in 1979 that black businesses were allowed to operate in designated black areas only, due to concerted efforts by NAFCOC. At the very core of NAFCOC ‘s existence is the creed “Rise in Faith” and this most certainly held true for those pioneering, founding fathers of NAFCOC. They held out for and held onto a vision where one day Black people would enter the mainstream of the economy of the country. This book is not just a celebration of 50 years of NAFCOC. It is also tracks the fight for political and economic freedom, long before the reality of a democratic government in 1994. It tells how NAFCOC enabled black business; how black business not only survived, but thrived against a backdrop of an unequal racist society. There are not many organisations that remain standing after 50 years – that NAFCOC has not only managed to do this, but continues to play a significant role for a new generation of black businessmen and women assures it of a continued relevance.

"Will Africa's recuperative powers have dispelled the shadows of historically imposed predicaments by the end of the century?" This is the question posed to this group of scholars from all over Africa and the diaspora. Their comments cover a range of issues, from knowledge and its transformation to the need to manage natural resources. Viewing the economy through the lens of actual livelihoods, however, it is clear is that colonial legacies continue to circumscribe many of the hopes and aspirations of new democracies in Africa.

This book is a long-overdue history of the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania (PAC) and the rise of the Africanist ideology in South Africa. From its formation in 1959, the PAC underground inside South Africa and in exile shaped the dynamics of the anti-apartheid movement and liberation struggle by framing alternative ideologies. Kwandiwe Kondlo analyses the radical traditions, the structural contradictions and the internal conflicts of this rival to the African National Congress (ANC), South Africa's dominant liberation organisation. The contributions of some of the PAC leaders, including Robert Sobukhwe, Potlake Kitchener Leballo, Vusumzi Make and John Nyathi Pokela, are reconstructed as are the PAC's experiences in exile and the strategies pursued by its military wing, the Azanian People's Liberation Party (APLA). The role of the PAC in the power-sharing negotiations leading to the historic 1994 elections in South Africa round off the narrative. The PAC story is a highly controversial one, as the perspectives are wide and various. This book seeks to present a balanced picture which includes diverse views in a comprehensive narrative.