Continuing professional development (CPD) of teachers is a neglected area of teacher development in South Africa. The introduction of a new national curriculum in the post-apartheid era presents enormous challenges for teachers. CPD initiatives in South Africa thus far have been fragmented, diluted and have had little direct influence on teachers' practice. This article draws on a community of practice framework and applies the work of Wenger (1998) and Wenger, McDermott and Snyder (2004) in analysing the development of CPD communities of practice. It argues that Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) through their community outreach initiatives can play a powerful role in advancing teacher continuing professional development by developing and strengthening teacher communities of practice.