The influence of John Dewey's educational theory on curriculum development in South Africa is examined in this paper. The two main streams of thinking about curriculum theory in South Africa include the traditional perspective, which is heavily influenced by the national Christianity movement, and the alternative curriculum development perspective. A conclusion is that John Dewey influenced the two perspectives of curriculum theory in South Africa; however, the traditional field has widely criticized its humanistic and pragmatic orientation. The alternative field has widely accepted Dewey's focus on integrating students' social needs with the curriculum and on using curriculum as an instrument for social change. This view is also congruent with the educational goals of the African National Congress (ANC). At a stage when social and educational problems in the republic are addressed by diverse groups, Deweyan theory might provide some answers and certainly some obstacles. (Contains 39 references.) (LMI)