?AIDS is one of the biggest problems and challenges that humanity has faced in the last decades. The African continent has particularly a tragic balance with the disease. It has caused in the African countries hundreds of thousands of deaths, more than in any war, and continues to take thousands of lives even in the new millennium. South Africa is the country with the largest number of HIV infected people in the world. AIDS has not only consequences in the health and life expectancy of the population, but also a political, economic, and social aspect as well. The way in which governments and politicians have confronted the AIDS issue has been cause for many controversies and political debate. The case of president Mbeki and the health minister Tshabalala – Msimang and their support for the AIDS denialist views, are considered by many as the main cause for the current spread of the disease in the country. On the other hand, the large number of people infected with HIV and the deaths related to it, directly affect the economy and the society. One in four people in the age from 15 to 49 years is infected, and 600,000 orphaned children as a result of AIDS1. This paper, gives an overview on how in two decades AIDS went from an isolated mysterious disease among the gay community, to a tragic epidemic in South Africa, the implications of the denialist views of Thabe Mbeki in the epidemic, and the current situation of AIDS in South Africa. Demographics It is important to consider some demographic facts about South Africa, in order to understand the unique characteristics of the country, and the context in which AIDS spread rapidly in the last decades. South Africa is the 25th largest country in the world by population and area. It has a population of nearly 49 million2. The age range of the population is 65.8 % from 15 to 64 years old, 28 % from 0 to 14 years old, and 5.7 % is 65 years and older3. There are eleven official languages including English, and a diversified religious spectrum, with Christianity being the religion of the majority of the population. Until 1991 the law divided the population in four ethnic groups, Black African (79%), White (9.6%), Colored (8.9%), and Indian / Asian. In 1991 the division in these categories has been abolished, but South Africans consider themselves as part of one of these ethnic groups even today. The country has a literacy level of 86.4 % and a life expectancy of 49.3 years old4. This is strongly affected by the AIDS epidemic, since it has dropped by almost 20 years when compared to the life expectancy before the epidemic5. Politically, South Africa went in the years after its independence in 31 May 1961 through a long period of political turmoil and instability mostly related to the apartheid. At the same time, South Africa has been considered as Africa’s Powerhouse”, due to its economic power compared to other African countries. Still, high rates of unemployement, income inequality, and low GDP per capita make the economic situation of the country fragile and problematic. The country is divided into 9 provinces. The most populated and urbanized are Gauteng, Kwazulu- Natal, and Eastern Cape. HIV History The first case of HIV in South Africa was reported in 19827. At the time, the virus was still unknown and considered as only affecting the gay community. In the following years, the heterosexual transmission rates grew rapidly and the number of infected people started increasing. This was the start of long