Adult basic education and training is essential if South Africa is to cope with the legacy of 40 years of Bantu education, which has left the country with an enormous illiteracy problem. This in turn has affected every aspect of the social structure of the country. High crime and other societal ills are a direct result of the Apartheid educational system. Today big business and government have formed a partnership which, through the provision of ABET programmes, is aimed at eliminating illiteracy in South Africa. Only through this cooperation can South Africa hope to address the problems of poverty and employment in the country.