In this week’s view of the nation, we look at an overview of post-apartheid development in South Africa with a special focus on a policy promoted by the African National Congress to mitigate socio-economic inequality within South African society. In this sense, the key strategy of the ANC was the economic platform, of which the goal was to achieve poverty reduction and the strengthening of the economy. For this purpose, the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) was adopted in 1994. The main aim of the conversation is the ANC’s strategy in the field of the RDP that can be considered the specific tool of socio-economic transformation because the RDP was essentially a basic-needs programme which focused on the provision of infrastructure, housing, free and compulsory schooling, electricity, running water and toilets, health care and land to the poor. Jay Naidoo, former cabinet minister tasked with implementing the RDP and Dr Seshupo Mosala, Lecturer at North West University join Lerato Mbele for the conversation.