Social protection in South Africa

Haroon Bhorat and Morne Oosthuizen

No wp-2026-11, WIDER Working Paper Series from World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER)

Abstract: South Africa has a relatively well-developed social protection system for a middle-income country. Despite its roots in the country's racially discriminatory past, the system has been repurposed post-apartheid to address deep poverty and severe inequality. This paper explores key characteristics of the current social protection system, highlighting its large scale and reach. Given high unemployment, the scope of social insurance is relatively limited and the social protection system is largely geared towards social assistance.

Keywords: Social assistance; Social protection; Cash transfers; Poverty; Fiscal policy; South Africa (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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