In the late 20th century, South Africa was the focal point of the one of the most contentious political struggles of the post-colonial era. Now a generation removed from the end of apartheid, the country has established a democratic political system, while at the same time grappling with the major issues of the 21st century, including globalization, economic inequality, regional conflicts, and climate change. This narrative has often been told through the lens of the colonial era, with a heavy emphasis on the political context. The Oxford Handbook of South African History tells this story by cultivating new directions in scholarship that continue to revise how we understand the South African past. Scholars and students in this field have pushed for a history of the country that is more open to new voices, and more receptive to those who have been the most affected by the rapid changes in the last few decades. Thus, rather than providing a standard chronological history, the Handbook's thematic approach explores the connections between the precolonial era, the age of empire, and the modern age. These chapters are bookended by an ambitious opening section on historiography, and a closing section that discusses the impact of the past on timely issues such as HIV/AIDS, land reform, and post-apartheid reconciliation. In doing so, the Handbook sets a new standard for synthetic histories of the region.
