东京热

Generating Better Livelihoods (GBL)

The Generating Better Livelihoods (GBL) project is a learning-oriented social development initiative that explores how social protection can better connect grant beneficiaries to sustainable livelihood pathways. Focusing primarily on recipients of the Child Support Grant (CSG) and the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant, the pilot is being implemented across Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga. Initially designed for women aged 18鈥�35 receiving the CSG, the programme adapted during implementation to respond to contextual realities, expanding eligibility to women aged 36鈥�40 and including young men aged 18鈥�35 who receive the SRD grant. These adaptations reflect the project鈥檚 emphasis on learning through implementation.

The project is implemented by FinMark Trust in partnership with the Department of Social Development (DSD), the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA), and the National Development Agency (NDA), with technical support from BRAC International. It tests a collaborative model aimed at strengthening the links between income support, skills development, and economic opportunity. Rather than introducing parallel systems, the project leverages existing public and private sector programmes. Linkage Facilitators play a central role by providing tailored coaching and referrals based on participants鈥� needs and circumstances.

The Centre for Social Development in Africa (CSDA) serves as the learning partner, leading a structured learning agenda that documents implementation processes, interrogates outcomes, and generates evidence to inform scalability and potential institutionalisation within government systems.

This project responds to a critical gap in South Africa鈥檚 social protection system: the limited integration between income support and pathways to economic inclusion. It contributes to ongoing policy debates on developmental social welfare and graduation-type approaches, with a focus on identifying what works, for whom, and under what conditions.

The study adopts an implementation-focused, learning-oriented approach, generating evidence through ongoing reflection, documentation, and analysis of programme processes and outcomes. It also creates structured spaces for engagement among partners, including workshops and reflection sessions, to support collective learning and adaptive implementation.

The project highlights the importance of strengthening coordination across government, civil society, and the private sector to improve access to livelihood opportunities for grant beneficiaries. By fostering linkages with training providers, employers, and enterprise support organisations, it contributes to greater system coherence and responsiveness.

The project further benefits from its collaborative design, which brings together actors across sectors and levels of governance. These partnerships support the dissemination of learning and contribute to broader discussions on social protection reform, positioning the project as a platform for institutional learning and more integrated approaches to social development.