Big business in South Africa has committed itself to the principles of adult basic education and training. This commitment has had a concrete effect with many adults who had been denied a quality education under the Apartheid system now having at least a basic working knowledge of both the written word and mathematics. These basic skills are allowing them to improve their lives in ways that they might have only dreamed about only a few years ago. However, the commitment of both big business and government must continue, the problem of illiteracy is by no means solved and only by rolling out new, more comprehensive programs can we hope to deal with this problem.