Dedicated educators and a professional approach to education are changing the lives of young people across South Africa, however we still have a long way to go. Although new generations of learners will have more opportunities than their parents had we still need to deal with the problems of illiteracy amongst the older generation. Adult Basic education has made great strides in giving those marginalized by the Apartheid educational system the skills to cope with today’s fast changing world. ABET can make a difference to people’s lives, however the full cooperation of both business and government is required to make the programs a success.