From emergency relief to structural redress: Rethinking South Africa’s SRD grant as a basic relief income program

Abstract

The Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant, introduced as an emergency measure during the COVID-19 pandemic, has become a critical support mechanism for millions of South Africans. Although initially implemented to address the immediate economic fallout of the pandemic, the grant has persisted beyond the crisis, evolving into an essential component of the country’s social protection landscape. Its discontinuation at this stage would have devastating consequences, particularly for the large population of unemployed youth in townships who rely on the grant for basic survival, including securing a daily meal. Unlike other targeted grants such as those supporting children, the elderly, or students, the SRD grant is uniquely positioned to address the needs of working-age individuals excluded from formal employment and other social programs. In a context where South Africa’s apartheid legacy continues to shape patterns of poverty, marginalisation, and inequality, the SRD grant serves not only as a poverty alleviation tool but also as a vehicle for redress and inclusion. This paper advocates for institutionalising the SRD grant by transforming it into a permanent Basic Relief Income (BRI) program, designed as a near-universal income support for working-age adults with low or no income. The BRI is envisioned as a sustainable and inclusive safety net that recognises the socio-historical context of dispossession and responds to the structural exclusion faced by millions. By framing income support as both a developmental and restorative intervention, the proposed BRI model can play a vital role in promoting economic participation, social cohesion, and long-term national stability.