Social grants are the largest source of support for many vulnerable groups. They are the government’s primary response to poverty, food insecurity and inequality.
Articles on Social grants
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The country is still a very different political space. It’s a noisy democracy with a free media, lots of dissenting voices, and insulting the government doesn’t carry any overt sanction.
He used his powerful research to promote social change for justice in South Africa.
Social security reforms are needed that include support for the long-term and chronically unemployed and informal workers.
The sums aren’t adding for South Africa on either the spending or revenue side. It’s a problem that’s developed over time with no action being taken.
The provision of better health services and social grants has aided rural women’s progress in South Africa, but there are still tremendous needs to be met.
There’s a crucial need to connect the most vulnerable people with public services in order to tackle systemic poverty and disadvantage. An integrated approach is key.
South Africa has a huge gender gap in terms of policies and interventions that would help women entrepreneurs.
Much of the commentary on the July riots, which cost over 300 lives and billions of rands in damage to the economy, has neglected the long history of violent protests in the country.
Basic income must be embedded within a broader strategy of economic reform, aimed at increasing the social wage and improving working conditions.
Concerns about socioeconomic well-being were the main reason why people voted for a certain political party.
South Africans have experienced significant shocks to their livelihoods, and the threat of hunger presents a major concern for health, political and social stability.
The net effect is that the shocks are most severe on poorer, more vulnerable households.
To begin to deal with South Africa’s persistent poverty, high unemployment, and the economic aftermath of the pandemic, grant increases must remain in place after the six month period.
The loss of livelihoods flowing from the efforts to combat the pandemic highlights the dearth of social protection measures on the continent.
While small businesses will be partially cushioned by government support measures, there’s no support for the most vulnerable workers.
To support precarious households that can’t access existing relief during lockdown and its aftermath, the government should implement a temporary increase in the value of the child support grant.
Government policies need to acknowledge individual agency as a mechanism for change, while reducing barriers to income-producing activities.
The survey findings show that people who had taken part in protests over the last five years were more likely to vote for opposition parties.
A clandestine system of transfer payment, with roots in apartheid-era boycotts, has developed into routine behaviour on which many family budgets now depend.
Top contributors
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Professor of Social Development Studies, University of Johannesburg
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Associate professor, University of Johannesburg
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Research Fellow, Institute of Development Studies
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Professor of Political Studies, University of Johannesburg
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UCT Emeritus Professor and Senior Research Scholar; Director of ARUA's African Centre of Excellence for Inequality Research within SALDRU., University of Cape Town
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Visiting Professor at the Business School, University of the Witwatersrand
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Associate Professor in Economics and Public Policy, University of Oxford
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Senior research fellow at the Centre for Social Development in Africa, University of Johannesburg
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Research assistant at The Mind and Behaviour Research Group, University of Oxford
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PhD candidate in Economics, UMass Amherst
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Senior Researcher Rural Health in Transition and Agincourt Research Unit, University of the Witwatersrand
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Researcher in Economics, University of Surrey
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Distinguished Research Fellow, Human Sciences Research Council
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Resesarcher, SALDRU, University of Cape Town
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Emeritus professor in Politics, University of Johannesburg