Fighting hunger and poverty
South Africa has invested significantly in a social wage package to reduce inequality and address the worst effects of poverty. This includes free basic services, education and social housing for the poor, as well as an extensive social security grants system.
Government is working to ensure that existing social grants are increased to cushion the poor against rising inflation. We have extended the Social Relief of Distress Grant to end March 2024. We are also developing a longer-term alternative for targeted basic income support to replace the SRD Grant.
It is the job of the state to provide a minimum level of protection below which no South African will fall.
President Cyril Ramaphosa
Achievement highlights
Social relief of distress (SRD) grant reaches 7.8m people
Around R63 billion in UIF benefits paid out as part of the COVID-19 Temporary Employee/Employer Relief Scheme
R195.5 billion in social grants in 2021/22
R86.5 billion
Old age pension
R23.6 billion
Disability grant
R73.3 billion
Child support grant
R4.3 billion
Foster child grant
R3.7 billion
Care dependency grant
