Social Grants and Poverty Reduction in the Resource-Poor Community of Doornkop, Soweto, South Africa

Over 1.5% of the global gross domestic product (GDP) is spent on social protection in developing and transition countries. The South African government supports an increasing number of its citizens with reliable and predictable monthly social grants to mitigate high levels of poverty and unemployment in resource-poor communities. Although the literature has shown the positive impact of the intervention on nutrition, schooling, women’s empowerment, access to services, and search for employment, the relationship between social grants, agency and poverty reduction in resource-poor communities is yet to receive adequate research attention. Considering the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 1: No poverty, as well as the expected role of social grants, this study aimed to explore how the receipt of social grants contributes to beneficiaries’ agency towards poverty reduction in the resource-poor community of Doornkop, Soweto, South Africa. A qualitative research methodology was used to understand the impact of social grants and found that receipt thereof created new economic opportunities, empowered individuals, and boosted the overall economic status of the community.