In South Africa, criminology is viewed as the science that deals with the crime phenomenon, criminals, crime victims, and the administration of justice. An important issue which South African criminologists have addressed is the definition of crime. Various perspectives on the origins, nature, and functions of crime have been advanced, because some conception of crime is a prerequisite for the description and explanation of the crime phenomenon. Developments during the last decade have affected some of the theories of crime causation and may someday change the course of criminological thought and practice in South Africa. These developments have included a more refined classification of crime; the increasing use of case histories in research; the identification of the interaction patterns that lead to crime; the full-scale use of the computer to analyze criminal statistics and criminological data; the publication of a criminological journal; and a reevaluation of the nature, structure, functions, and objectives of criminology. The establishment of institutes of criminology in South African universities in the 1970's began a new era in criminological research. Twenty-one notes and 25 annotated bibliographic entries are provided.