There have been important studies of overall income inequality and of poverty in South Africa. In this paper, we approach the subject from a different direction: the extent and evolution of top incomes. We present estimates of the shares in total income of groups such as the top 1 per cent and the top 0.1 per cent, covering, with gaps, more than a hundred years. In order to explain the observed dynamics, here we consider three factors: the transfer of political authority, racial discrimination, and the rich mineral resources. The estimates of top income shares for recent years bear out the picture of South Africa as a highly unequal country.Fil: Gonzalez Alvaredo, Facundo. Universidad Torcuato Di Tella. Instituto "Torcuato Di Tella"; Argentina. Ecole Normale Supérieure; Francia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Atkinson, Anthony B.. University of Oxford; Reino Unid
