What we can learn from the COVID-19 grant

The hunger and poverty crisis that the social relief of distress grant aimed to alleviate was exacerbated by COVID-19, but it existed long before the pandemic. The introduction of the grant provided a basis on which to assess the role that expanded permanent social security ��� such as a targeted basic income grant ��� could play in assisting people in South Africa. A Black Sash report, based on research conducted in partnership with the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), highlighted the critical role that the grant played in keeping vulnerable South Africans afloat. It also underscored the current administration challenges that limit the effectiveness of grants, and how these might be overcome.