A shift in thinking is needed to counter South Africa’s startling rise in poverty
South Africa should look towards inclusive growth to push back the growing levels of poverty within the population.
Academic rigor, journalistic flair
Articles on Social grants
Displaying 1 - 20 of 23 articles
How hunger affects the mental health of pregnant mothers
Women who don't get enough to eat while pregnant face a high risk of developing common mental illnesses like depression and anxiety during pregnancy and after giving birth.
How to make South Africa’s public works programme work for women
South Africa's public works programme is a laudable idea. But it must be closely monitored to make sure it doesn't lead to unintended consequences, especially for women.
How South Africa can fix the fact that one in four of its children go hungry
Tackling the challenge of stunting in South Africa needs a convergence of science and policy along with better coordination at all levels of government.
Kids on social grants are less likely to be obese. They also go to school earlier
Child support grants are an income resource that enables caregivers to make healthier food choices and provide the means to send their children to school earlier.
Why South Africa’s social grants aren’t eradicating malnutrition
South Africa's social grants, which benefit a third of the country's population, are widely celebrated. But these grants fall far short of addressing the country's malnutrition challenge.
Explainer: the rise of social impact investing
Impact investments are designed to achieve a measurable social or environmental – as well as financial – return.
Why South Africa’s courts cannot rein in a delinquent government
The social grant saga shows how South African courts are doomed to fail to protect the public from its government.
South Africa’s social grants: busting the myth about financial inclusion
Entities at the centre of the storm engulfing South Africa's social grants distribution system have claimed to be champions of financial inclusion. The claim in itself is scandalous.
Why South Africa’s Constitution is under attack
South Africa’s Constitutional Court has repeatedly stepped in to protect vulnerable people and to perform what former deputy chief Justice Dikgang Moseneke calls its "transformative role".
South Africa’s social grants system: there’s more than just money at stake
Should South Africa's social grants not be disbursed, many households will lose the only source of income they have.
South Africa’s grant scandal exposes myths about how the state should run things
South Africa's social grant scandal seems to back up highly regarded views on public governance that Public Private Partnerships aren’t naturally efficient.
South Africa needs to do more to plug its deficit than target the rich
In his 2017/18 budget speech, South Africa's finance minister Pravin Gordhan opted to focus on taxing high income earners to find desperately needed money.
The real risks behind South Africa’s social grant payment crisis
The South African Social Security Agency has created a crisis that threatens to deliver social grant recipients on a silver platter into the hands of unscrupulous financial services companies.
South Africa isn’t budgeting for its care economy. What can be done about it
Social welfare budgets have simply not been adequate to plug decades’ worth of under-resourcing, especially in black communities. It's a good place for government to start giving life to its slogans
Why social grants matter in South Africa: they support 33% of the nation
The unfolding social grant payment crisis in South Africa threatens the livelihoods of a third of the country's population.
Business needs to change, and stop blaming others for South Africa’s ills
A change of attitude which comes with some deep introspection by South African business leaders can help address some of the country's key socioeconomic challenges.
South Africa does child support grants well, but not other welfare services
The lack of service integration and the paucity of welfare services make poor people's task of caring for their familes much harder. A small monthly cash transfer can’t solve all their challenges.
Explainer: can South African banks legally deduct from social grants?
What seems to be a simple question of banks’ responsibilities is actually a major issue playing out where social security, banking, property, criminal and constitutional law intersect.
South Africa’s social welfare system faces deepening challenges
Progress in South Africa's welfare system is being hindered by corruption, labour disputes and a lack of research and innovation in the field.
Top contributors
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Head of School of Economic & Business Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand
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Research Fellow, Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex
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Associate professor, University of Johannesburg
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Professor of Political Studies, University of Johannesburg
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Associate Professor in Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Strategy, University of Technology Sydney
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PhD Fellow based at the Wits City Institute, University of the Witwatersrand
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Senior Researcher, Rhodes University
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Associate Professor in Public Law, University of Cape Town
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Senior Researcher & Head: Neil Aggett Labour Studies Unit, Rhodes University
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Lecturer in the Department of Mercantile and Labour Law, University of the Western Cape
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Professor Emeritus, Society, Work and Development Institute, University of the Witwatersrand
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Executive Director, HSRC, Human Sciences Research Council
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Professor of Anthropology, London School of Economics and Political Science
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Director: Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies, University of the Western Cape
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Professor of Social Development Studies, University of Johannesburg
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