Social security review 2021: evolution of social security in South Africa: an agenda for action

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 (RSA, 1996; World Bank, 2018). The substantial expenditure on social security has served as a critical redistributive mechanism aimed at enhancing the lives of millions of poor South Africans. Importantly, it has contributed to growing South Africa's social wage offering, which includes free primary health care, free schooling, and free basic services such as water, access to housing and social grants (ibid). These public policy instruments, which seek to address deprivations and vulnerabilities of the poor arising from shocks and lifecycle events and provide security to the non-poor, are generally referred to as social protection.