Excellence in manufacturing follows immediately from the complementaJy attributes of productivity and quality. Both have a cultural and technical component. A culture ofexcellence in both doijlg th~ri2ht ~and doing the thing right is a~·henomenon. Historically such a culture is often bred b.Y ilifficult economic circumstances in a cui and politically cohCSlVC comm~. The history ofSouth Africa is Up' to nowwas not successful in e~ competitive exellence in manufacturing. In fact our coloni3l but raw materials rich history inhibited demand and eventually development 01 excellence in this field. The technical comwnent of exeeUence in manufac.!JlPng is completely deoendent on education. World trends in education is towards l!!"eater education ofthe wholeJlOpuiation.Education today involves several different institutions ana also the ioformal transfer ofICnOwiedge and skilL This p'aper reviews the state ofeducation in quality in South Africa. It offers the view that not oJ!ly is more intensive and effective education nc;cessary across the board but that a far greater emphasiS should be I!laced on an effectively unified system ofeducation as a whole with improved communication and co-ordination of effort.