In the following chapter, ‘Professions and professionalism in emerging economies: The case of South Africa’, Debby Bonnin and Shaun Ruggunan describe how the key transformations witnessed in the South African professions reflect a post-apartheid project of racial and, to a lesser extent, gendered transformation. The primary purpose of their chapter is to consider how this transformation project is affecting South African professionals. The chapter examines recent developments in professions in South Africa, highlighting four key developments. First, they detail the strategies developed by the state, professional bodies and educational/training institutions to effect racial transformation in the composition of traditional professions. Second, they outline key developments in the state regulation of some of the traditional professions. Third, they detail how state-led projects of the professionalization of the public service were aimed at racial and gender transformation as well as raising standards of service delivery. Fourth, the emergence of the professionalization of new groups (for example, security guards) is described as a strategy for credentialing and organizing better working conditions. The theme of transformation, access and the removal of barriers underlie all of these developments.