Introduction: Siyaya Phambili: towards inclusive social security in South Africa

Globally, South Africa, which recently celebrated twenty-five years of democracy, has been lauded for its extensive noncontributory social security system, reflecting the states commitment to adopting policy measures and programmes working towards translating socio-economic rights which are underpinned by the Bill of Rights, as enshrined in the Constitution. Each chapter provides insight into a specific aspect of social security and can be read independently, providing a comprehensive overview of that subject matter. However, there is synergy and continuity between the chapters. Chapters 2 to 4 provide a historical perspective to the development of social security in South Africa and a succinct synopsis of the constitutional, legal and policy imperatives that have driven the development of the current system. The next three chapters 5 to 7 surface some of the key debates with respect to the parameters of a comprehensive social security system and begin to explore the need for South Africa to expand its Social Protection floor. The final set of chapters 8 to 11 explore issues arising from the implementation of one of the largest components of the social security system, namely social assistance.