South Africans are deeply xenophobic. This unpleasant fact has been borne out by public opinion research since 1995, and can be seen in the all too frequent attacks on immigrants and popular calls for stiffer controls on immigration. Significantly, these attitudes are not the result of first-hand experience with foreigners.

Since coming to office in 1994, the South African government claims to have provided seven million additional people with access to clean, running water and 3,5-million people with access to electricity. While impressive, these figures have been challenged on a number of fronts.