Stokvels are self-help initiatives designed to respond to the problems of poverty and income insecurity in communities. Stokvels are thus a form of informal social security. Based on a study of members of stokvels in the Orange Farm community in Johannesburg, South Africa, the article examines the role of stokvels in improving the lives of their members. The results of the study showed that stokvels enable members to meet their basic needs. Stokvels also provide opportunities for members to save and invest and ultimately to accumulate assets. The results also show that stokvels promote the empowerment of women.

The article examines the role of social security in South Africa based on a review of secondary data. The author argues that the role of social security is to prevent and reduce poverty and to promote reintegration. The social security system needs to be strengthened in order to enhance effectiveness.

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The Child Support Grant (CSG) represents a major policy response to child poverty in South Africa. Based on qualitative research, the article explored how caregivers in Ba-Phalaborwa sub-district in the Limpopo province utilise the CSG. The findings revealed that the CSG is mostly utilised to buy food, clothes and school necessities for children. There were perceptions, though, that some recipients did not utilise the grant in the best interest of children. It is recommended that the Department of Social Development should monitor closely the utilisation of the grant to ensure that beneficiaries use the grant in the best interest of the children.

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