Increasing urbanisation brought about by the migration of South Africa’s rural poor to the towns and cities of the country means that more and more illiterate people are searching for jobs in a job market that is shrinking. The impact of the current recession on unskilled labour has been especially harsh. Only by upskilling the uneducated can South Africa hope to absorb these new city dwellers. Adult Basic Education is one of the outreaches that will allow South Africa’s poor to reach levels of education that benefit not only themselves but the economy as a whole. With ABET all South African’s can look forward to brighter future.