This chapter shines a spotlight on the Global South as a way of examining the historical trajectories of countries in this region, from the pre-colonial, colonial and to the present times. The chapter focusses on Africa, Asia and Latin America due to the scale of colonisation and the devastating effects it had on indigenous peoples and their social and other systems in these regions, among other things. It also tries to ascertain if there were any local triggers that could have catalysed social development processes, either from the continents’ pre-colonial past or even from the colonial era. The post-independence period for these regions is of critical importance, as it saw the former making concerted efforts to create new societies and establish social services aimed at meeting the needs of their citizens. Some examples of social development endeavours in the Global South are brought to the fore in this chapter to highlight the common agenda of decolonisation and rapid socio-economic development and transformation in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Also, due to the shared history of colonisation, these continents found themselves experiencing similar challenges, for instance, mounting foreign debt and the debilitating effects of the Structural Adjustment Programmes (SAPs).