People Management is a critical component of managing in organisations as everything else required to achieve the desired output depends on having competent and willing staff. In South Africa the challenge of managing people is set against a historical backdrop in which political structures ensured that a large portion of the workforce were severely limited in respect of work opportunities and skills development, and consequently (at times) poorly motivated. The consequences of the latter must be managed in a globally competitive environment where South African companies are forced to compete internationally and managing people can be a challenging enterprise.