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This publication provides an overview of human resources development (HRD) in South Africa, based on the Human Sciences Research Council's 'HRD review 2003: education, employment and skills in South Africa'. It examines three institutional sub-systems within the broader South African social system that provide important contributions to the development of human resources: the youth labour market; the world of work with its associated enterprise training system; and the national system of science and innovation. The author provides a theoretical explanation of the importance of institutional and policy coordination to an examination of HRD. The discussion then focuses on the South African context where it is demonstrated that 'contradiction and incoherence characterise the operations' of the three institutional sub-systems. An intensification of 'joined-up policy coordination and implementation' is recommended in order to increase the effectiveness of their contribution to HRD. A critique of the 'high skills' argument that is considered a necessary condition for the successful expansion of HRD concludes that a concentration on high skills alone is inappropriate with a large proportion of South Africans being unemployed and having very low levels of skill. A 'multi-pronged' approach to HRD is recommended, combining a high- and intermediate-skill strategy on the supply side and a demand-driven strategy designed to stimulate 'large-scale labour-absorbing employment growth', underpinned by the necessary provision of low-level skills training. Actual skills deficits in high-, intermediate- and low-skill bands are examined and the author concludes that South Africa, lacking these skills, has severe HRD problems requiring urgent solutions.