South Africa has arguably the most comprehensive and challenging affirmative action policies of any country in the world. But is black economic empowerment achieving its goal of correcting past injustices and opening up opportunities for black South Africans? Or is it more harmful than helpful? Respected political analyst Anthea Jeffery examines the effect of affirmative action in all major sectors, drawing the different aspects of BEE together and explaining complex rules in layman's terms.