Rewarding participants in public works programmes: cash or food transfers?

What is the best way for public works programmes to remunerate participants so that they can achieve improved socio-economic status? Drawing on evidence from a study conducted by the HSRC on the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) Phase 2 (2009 -2014) in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), this policy brief considers the appropriateness and outcomes of the programme's wage transfer mechanisms - namely, 'wages' in cash or as in-kind payments in the form of food parcels - by contrasting their socio-economic outcomes across programme beneficiaries.

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Publication Details

Journal
Human Science Research Council SA
Published
2026-05-23
DOI
https://doi.org/10.14749/32385039
Primary Topic
Poverty, Education, and Child Welfare
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
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article

Rewarding participants in public works programmes: cash or food transfers?

Human Sciences Research Council
Human Science Research Council SA
Poverty, Education, and Child Welfare
article

Rewarding participants in public works programmes: cash or food transfers?

Human Sciences Research Council
article en

Abstract

What is the best way for public works programmes to remunerate participants so that they can achieve improved socio-economic status? Drawing on evidence from a study conducted by the HSRC on the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) Phase 2 (2009 -2014) in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), this policy brief considers the appropriateness and outcomes of the programme's wage transfer mechanisms - namely, 'wages' in cash or as in-kind payments in the form of food parcels - by contrasting their socio-economic outcomes across programme beneficiaries.

Human Science Research Council SA
Zero hunger
Openalex Percentile: Top 4%
Poverty, Education, and Child Welfare
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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Rewarding participants in public works programmes: cash or food transfers? — Human Sciences Research Council · Human Science Research Council SA (2026) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS