Abstract

South Africa has an extensive social grant program reaching over 45 percent of the population and which has mitigated high poverty in the post-apartheid epoch. Yet the impacts on urban poor community economic activities are yet to be duly appreciated. As the major capital injection into the local economy amidst a high rate of poverty and unemployment, the fund serves as the catalyst that enables both beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries to participate in economic activities. A qualitative study was carried out in Soweto to explore linkages between social grants and participation in local economic activities. The findings show a strong nexus between social grants and participation in local economic activities. The key relevance of this study rests on its evidence-based suggestion of the positive impact of social grants on post-COVID-19 economic recovery, especially in poor urban communities such as Soweto.

摘要

南非有一个覆盖 45% 以上人口的广泛的社会补助计划，这减轻了后种族隔离时代的高度贫困。然而，对城市贫困社区经济活动的影响尚未得到应有的重视。作为在贫困和失业率居高不下的情况下注入当地经济的主要资金，该基金起到催化剂的作用，使受益者和非受益者都能参与经济活动。在索韦托进行了一项定性研究，以探索社会赠款与参与当地经济活动之间的联系。调查结果表明，社会赠款与参与当地经济活动之间存在密切联系。