APA-Johannesburg (South Africa) South Africa is the winner of the prestigious International Social Security Association (ISSA) Good Practice Award in Social Security for Africa 2023, according to reports monitored here on Friday.
Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu received the award on Thursday during the ISSA Regional Social Security Forum for Africa Awards ceremony being held in Cote D’Ivoire capital Abidjan on behalf of the South African government.
South Africa came out tops among 138 entries received from 48 ISSA member institutions in over 30 countries in Africa.
Zulu said South Africa’s winning entry for the award – titled “Gradual Extension of Social Security Coverage to Vulnerable Children: The Case of the Child Support Grant, South Africa” – recognised the country’s efforts in extending social security coverage to all vulnerable children.
“The State continues to play a pivotal role in the social protection of children, ranging from social grants to free schooling and free health care, among others,” Zulu said.
The entry showcased South Africa’s interventions implemented to ensure that the social security system provided much-needed protection to vulnerable children in the country.
At the dawn of democracy, the new government introduced the Child Support Grant in 1998 to replace the racially based State Maintenance Grant, the minister explained.
Although it had been in existence from the 1930s, providing income protection to white families, the SMG excluded most black families and their children.
The new grant removed the racially discriminatory features, which expanded coverage to all eligible children, Zulu said.
Subject to a means test threshold, the CSG was introduced at a monthly value of US$6 and has increased over the years to US$28 per month as of April 2023.
The grant has grown over the years, with an increase in the age limit from 7 to 18 years old, with just over 13 million children now receiving grants monthly — amounting to nearly US$4.22 billion per annum, the minister said.
Founded in 1927, ISSA is a leading international organisation for social security institutions, government departments and agencies under the auspices of the International Labour Organisation.
NM/jn/APA