As it moves uncertainly towards the implementation of a more democratic society, South Africa - as so often in the past - is the focus of worldwide attention. Despite the optimism which followed the dismantling of the apartheid system and the election as president of Nelson Mandela, the country's history, racial mix and rapid recent political changes may yet foreshadow a turbulent future. South Africa is by far the most powerful country on the African continent - whatever happens there will have an impact far beyond its borders. Yet prejudice and ignorance on the subject of South Africa are widespread. Some incidents, especially those of the 19th century, are well-known: the Great Trek, the Jameson Raid, the Boer War. But how many people in the outside world are clear about the differences between Bantus, Zulus and Bushmen? Is it widely known that while the forebearers of F.W. de Clerk lived in what is now South Africa 300 years ago, those of Nelson Mandela did not? And what lies behind the development of the Boers' forceful character and powerful sense of destiny?