South Africa's first non-racial election has stimulated extensive debate about how to address the country's contemporary social and economic problems. This Briefing Paper summarises the major proposals being put forward to resolve these problems, first by drawing attention to the marked degree of consensus reached by the major parties, and then by outlining the major points of contention. The Briefing Paper goes on to describe the main features of the economy the new government will inherit, and ends by discussing a number of key internal and external factors which will influence the economy in the years ahead.