This article takes the case of the South African curriculum to examine the role of national politics and power relationships in giving internationally borrowed ideas their meaning and shape. It discusses the circulation of ideas between global, national and regional levels. In exploring the particular dynamics shaping the South African curriculum, it argues that there were three dominant influences on South African curriculum-making between 2000 and 2002: the African National Congress, teacher unions and university-based intellectuals. The ANC introduced a reforming, pragmatic approach to curriculum reform. Teacher unions reasserted the importance of outcomes-based education as foundational philosophy, and established the necessity for a workable and implementable post-apartheid curriculum. They united around a secular, humanist, rights-based curriculum. Radical intellectuals created the context for democratic debate and discussion of the post-apartheid curriculum and the theoretical and empirical climate for reform of the curriculum. The article uses primary and secondary sources collected through participation in the processes described and includes a discussion of the methodological issues involved.