The Commission was appointed in 1930 and headed by Dr. John Edward Holloway. The Terms of Reference of the Commission included an inquiry into "The economic and social conditions of Natives especially in the larger towns of the Union", which in essence was its main concern.

The Commission gathered its evidence mainly through submissions from all sectors of society and through public hearings throughout the Union of South Africa. The areas of inquiry were defined by a list of subjects, which were published in the Government Gazette and included amongst others: 'Tribal and Detribalised Natives', 'Land', 'Landless Native Population', 'Native Migrations', 'Native Agriculture', 'Rural and Urban Native Areas', 'Native Labour', 'Education of Natives', 'Native Taxation'.