THEMBA MATLOU

Social grants administered by the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) should not be reduced to figures only, how much money and how many people.

The more important point is: what becomes possible because that grant exists?

A grant can therefore do something that is often missing from the public debate about social protection: it can give people the security to take the next step.

That is why Sassa should not be understood merely as a grant-distribution agency. Its work sits within a broader social protection system whose purpose is to protect dignity, reduce vulnerability and create pathways towards greater resilience and, wherever possible, sustainable livelihoods.

The grant is not the destination. It is the bridge.

Social protection can create the foundation from which economic participation becomes possible.

Consider the experience of Ayanda Asanda Novukela from Lindelani in KwaZulu-Natal.

Novukela used R370 from her Social Relief of Distress to start Bhayeka Trading, selling spices, curry powder, dry herbs, sauces and eggs. She subsequently expanded her economic activities, supplying tuck shops and selling directly to customers. Her entrepreneurial journey eventually extended to three businesses, including a pre-school and daycare centre and a company-registration service.

The R370 did not create the business on its own. Novukela’s initiative, determination and willingness to learn were crucial. But the assistance provided an initial platform from which she could act.

That is the opportunity we should be looking for in social protection. Not dependency but possibility.

This is also the thinking behind the Generating Better Livelihoods (GBL) initiative of the department of social development, implemented in partnership with Sassa and development partners.

The initiative seeks to move beyond the conventional model in which social assistance ends with the transfer of money. It connects beneficiaries to livelihood opportunities, financial inclusion, social empowerment, coaching and mentorship.

A person can receive financial assistance and still lack skills, confidence, market access, financial knowledge, business networks or information about employment opportunities.

That is why a cash transfer, while essential, cannot be the whole intervention. People need connections. They need information. They need skills. They need mentorship.

People do not only need assistance. They need pathways.

The question should not be whether a grant makes people dependent.

The better question is: what can we do to ensure that the security provided by a grant helps people move towards greater independence?

But recognising these realities should not prevent us from recognising something equally important: many beneficiaries have capabilities that can be developed and economic potential that can be unlocked.

The grant may be paid to one person, but its impact can extend to an entire household. Social protection is an investment in human capability and social stability.

Some social security experts have argued that social protection works best when it protects people from falling deeper into poverty while also helping create opportunities to climb out of it.

This requires closer connections between Sassa beneficiaries and the broader economic ecosystem.

It means ensuring that, where appropriate, beneficiaries can be referred to skills programmes, employment services, entrepreneurship support, financial education, markets and other livelihood opportunities.

It means recognising that different beneficiaries require different pathways.

A young unemployed person may need skills and employment opportunities. A small trader may need access to markets and working capital. A rural household may need agricultural support. A person with a disability may need opportunities adapted to their circumstances.

There can be no one-size-fits-all pathway out of vulnerability.

The objective is not to take away the safety net. It is to make the safety net a platform from which people can move forward.

Of course, we must be realistic. Not every grant beneficiary can become an entrepreneur. Not everyone receiving social assistance can work. A pensioner cannot simply be told to start a business. A person with a severe disability cannot be expected to overcome structural barriers through determination alone. And no social grant programme can substitute for decent jobs, economic growth, quality education, effective public services and a functioning economy.

Social protection must remain a right and a safety net for those who need it.

But acknowledging these realities should not prevent us from recognising something equally important: many beneficiaries have capabilities that can be developed and economic potential that can be unlocked.

The challenge is to create the conditions in which that potential can flourish. That is the opportunity presented by the next chapter of social protection in South Africa.

Sassa’s role is therefore much bigger than the monthly transaction. It is about ensuring that a child is protected from hunger and given the chance to grow. It is about ensuring that an older person can live with dignity.

It is about supporting people with disabilities and recognising their right to participate in society. It is about preventing households facing unemployment and economic shocks from falling into destitution.

But it must also be about helping those who can work, trade, learn, farm, create and build businesses to access genuine opportunities to do so.

The story of Ayanda Novukela is powerful because it reminds us that opportunity does not always begin with a large investment. Sometimes, it begins with R370.

The task of government is to ensure that stories of transformation such as hers do not remain isolated examples. They should become part of a broader system in which social protection and economic opportunity reinforce each other.

Ultimately, we should change the way we measure the success of social protection.

The number of beneficiaries receiving grants will always matter. The amount paid will always matter. But we should also ask a bigger question: how many people, because they had the security provided by social protection, were able to take the next step towards a more secure and sustainable livelihood?

That is the real promise of social protection.

A grant protects. A grant stabilises. A grant creates breathing space. But with the right support, that breathing space can become opportunity.

Sassa is more than the monthly grant. It is part of the bridge from vulnerability to resilience, from survival to possibility, and from dependence on assistance towards greater economic participation.