Concern about population in Africa traditionally has focused on relatively high rates of fertility and mortality, expansion of basic health programs, and, more recently, on the devastation resulting from the HIV/AIDS pandemic.  Overlooked in the face of these pressing issues is the fact that most African populations are aging, albeit at slower rates than in much of the developing world.  While gerontology is still in its infancy throughout Africa, there is a growing recognition of population aging—especially in South Africa—and the social benefits and problems associated with this process.  To date, awareness has been stimulated largely by community-based ethnographic studies.  The major impediment to a fuller understanding of population aging has been the scarcity of relevant, reliable national-level data.  In the 1990s, however, researchers in South Africa have sought to redress this shortcoming through the use of survey instruments and enhanced census design and tabulation.  This report summarizes the major demographic aspects affecting the aging of the South African population and highlights several socioeconomic characteristics that affect the wellbeing of older persons.