As of 2015, children in the Republic of South Africa accounted for 29.24 per cent of the population. In 1998 the Government of South Africa introduced the Child Support Grant (CSG) in order to address the basic needs of this group through a cash transfer scheme. The CSG is implemented in all nine of the Country's provinces through the South African Social Security Agency’s (SASSA) regional offices, which administer transfers through direct deposit and private security firms via mobile delivery vans equipped with electronic fingerprinting identification and built-in automatic teller machines.
All citizens and permanent residents earning less than USD 3,500 per year who are the primary caregivers to their own children or those of others are eligible to claim the CSG. Non-parental caregivers must provide adequate proof, such as a social worker's report or an affidavit from the police, in order to qualify for the scheme. Eligibility is also determined through a means test for urban and rural areas and people living in informal settlements. Upon introduction in 1998 the scheme was available to children up to the age of 7 years; and, in 2010 the minimum age was increased to 18 years of age. Further, in 1998 the cash transfer was set at USD 13.80 per month in order to supplement nutrition costs; and, in 2010, the grant was increased to USD 34.50 per month and now includes conditions for school enrollment and attendance. The CSG currently provides a monthly cash transfers to over 10 million children.
The Government of the Republic of South Africa has built upon the CSG since its launch in 1998 in order to expand the extent and level of coverage with the aim of providing basic social and income security to more families. Initially launched under the Provincial Departments for Social Development, the CSG was transferred to the SASSA, moving toward a more integrated approach, in 2005. While the scheme has realised great improvements, fulfilling required documentation still creates barriers to access for some. Nonetheless, the CSG is an important investment in South Africa’s next generation and represents a strong move to provide income and social security for vulnerable children.
Further Reading:
Aislinn Delany, et. al. (2008). Review of the Child Support Grant: Uses, Implementation and Obstacles. Community Agency for Social Enquiry (CASE), Johannesburg. Accessed from http://evaluations.dpme.gov.za/evaluations/89/documents/955a3bd8-b7a6-4fd2-a28c-e1b198d926a0 on December 2016.
Leila Patel (2011). ‘Child Support Grants’. In Sharing Innovative Experiences: Successful Social Protection Floor Experiences Vol. 18. United Nations Development Programme, New York. Accessed from http://unossc1.undp.org/GSSDAcademy/SIE/Docs/Vol18/SIE_v18_ch16.pdf on December 2016.