2016 CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title Suggesting that the role of the black middle in class in shaping South African democracy has been largely overlooked, Southall details the development of this segment of society both before and after the end of apartheid in 1994. He seeks to challenge prevailing depictions of middle-class blacks as, at best, too narrow. SURVIVAL GLOBAL POLITICS AND STRATEGY This is a very important and timely study that will help make sense of perhaps the key social actors in contemporary South African society. AUSTRALASIAN REVIEW OF AFRICAN STUDIES Southall has brought together a rapidly growing volume of disparate studies of South Africa's black middle class and provided an incisive overview with scholarly objectivity. He succeeds admirably in his aim of enabling us to assess better both the social character of the black middle class and its potential as political actor, and deserves congratulation for providing a landmark study. THE ROUND TABLE An insightful and engaging read for those who seek to learn more about social stratification and mobility in South Africa. AFRICA SPECTRUM This book, without question, will become the standard work on its topic...The South African middle classes have been relatively neglected in contemporary studies... this careful overview fills a crucial gap. CHOICE Roger Southall's book delivers an insightful contribution to our understanding of South African society. His assessment of the structures of power that shape the lives of millions of South Africans is historically embedded, yet contextualized in the latest events, including the 2015 student protests. AFRICAN AFFAIRS