In this seminal collection, an interdisciplinary team of distinguished scholars draw on relevant conceptual models and compare experiences from other countries to show how South Africa could most successfully build a democratic developmental state. Macro- and microeconomic questions, as well as the institutional, governance, and social challenges facing South Africa are analyzed, as are the country's distinct advantages such as its existing constitutional democracy, its cashflow from mineral resources, and the commitment of its political leadership.The contributors eloquently make the case that for South Africa to become a developmental state that is both democratic and socially inclusive, economic and social policy have to be intertwined, development and democratic agendas have to be mutually reinforcing, and a competent bureaucracy needs to be built to enhance state capacity.