ABSTRACT
The purpose of this chapter is to explore the beginning of social policy in colonial and apartheid South Africa. It tries to explain how social policy was used to build a new society for a particular race, namely whites. The cited intervention was undertaken by the colonial and apartheid states, by providing a foundation for strengthening the capabilities of this group, through the creation of various life chances and opportunities for upward mobility. This exercise is undertaken because, among other things, historical analyses are crucial to proffering explanations as to why some societies had made certain policy decisions and choices. In the main, historical accounts are important in informing contemporary process, and in this case social policy positions.
