Public Employment Programmes and Social Protection in South Africa

In South Africa, escalating unemployment, rising poverty and structural inequality remain persistent challenges, with young people and marginalized communities disproportionately affected. Many workers remain excluded from stable formal employment, and rely on social grants for basic income security. PEPs have emerged as a key policy instrument to address these structural gaps, providing temporary work, income support and skills development opportunities. 

These programmes operate alongside traditional social protection measures, including cash transfers and grants. While PEPs offer immediate employment and income, it is critical to understand their broader impact beyond income effects, and how they intersect with poverty reduction, inclusion, and long-term labour market outcomes. 

Find out more about the Extension in South Africa

To better understand the role of PEPs within South Africa’s evolving social protection landscape, this study analyzed how they intersect with unemployment, inequality, and social policy. The study highlighted structural inequalities – such as land dispossession, concentrated economic power, and spatial inequities – that perpetuate poverty and unemployment. 

In particular, the paper focused on redefining the relationship between social assistance and public employment. The study explored how PEPs can go beyond merely providing income support to leveraging the added value of work, enhancing social inclusion, and fostering skills development. The study revealed how integrated and differentiated strategies are needed in order to address the diverse labour market challenges by advocating for scalable, rights-based employment guarantees and adaptive policy frameworks to balance social and economic imperatives. 

You will find below the research paper and the "Policy Dialogues" publication related to his project: 

• Public Employment Programmes in South Africa’s Changing Social Protection Landscape
• Strengthening Public Employment Programmes in South Africa’s Social Protection Framework