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

The paper examines the role of Public Employment Programs (PEPs) within South Africa’s evolving social protection landscape, emphasizing their intersection with unemployment, inequality, and social policy. The study highlights structural inequalities—such as land dispossession, concentrated economic power, and spatial inequities—that perpetuate poverty and unemployment.
It outlines the transformative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to the introduction of the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) Grant and the Presidential Employment Stimulus (PES). These initiatives have redefined the relationship between social assistance and public employment. The paper argues for PEPs to pivot from merely providing income support to leveraging the added value of work, enhancing social inclusion, and fostering skills development.
It recommends integrated, differentiated strategies to address diverse labour market challenges, advocating for scalable, rights-based employment guarantees and adaptive policy frameworks to balance social and economic imperatives.