Locked Down and Locked Out: Repurposing Social Assistance in South Africa

CSAE Research Podcasts

Researchers examine how an established social assistance system - not originally designed to support informal workers - can be re-purposed to provide emergency relief to support workers and their household in South Africa. The COVID-19 pandemic presented a particular challenge to countries with high levels of labour market informality. Informal workers and their households were especially vulnerable to the negative economic consequences of the pandemic and associated lockdown measures, while the very fact of their informality made it difficult for governments to quickly provide targeted economic relief. Using South Africa as a case study, this project examines how an established social assistance system - not originally designed to support informal workers - can be re-purposed to provide emergency relief to these workers and their households.