South Africa’s social grants, along with its tax policies and
social spending, have been credited with being strongly
progressive, helping to raise the income of the poorest by
10 times and to reduce income inequality by a quarter.1
Children
and older persons are the main beneficiaries of this extensive grant
system. Alone, the Child Support Grant (CSG) accounts for 70% of
the grants disbursed.2
Studies show that it improves child nutrition,
health and schooling outcomes. It protects adolescents from risk,
strengthens households’ resilience to shocks, and has the potential
for impacting lifelong productivity and earnings.