Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu said 49 449 beneficiaries and 12 362 households receiving social grants have been linked to economic and employment opportunities.
Responding to questions from DA MP Alexandra Abrahams, Zulu said the department developed a framework for linking social grant beneficiaries to sustainable livelihoods and economic opportunities in provinces through sustainable livelihoods programmes.
“The department has linked 49 449 persons that receive a social grant to economic and employment opportunities,” she said.
Of the opportunities created, Gauteng created 25 900, the Western Cape 9 620, Free State 2 348, National Development Agency 2 300 and the remainder in the other provinces.
Zulu also said the department linked persons and households that received a social grant to economic and sustainable livelihoods in all nine provinces.
“Since January 1, 2019 the Department of Social Development and its entities have managed to link an average of 12 362 households to sustainable livelihoods opportunities.”
The minister said South African Social Security Agency’s (Sassa) has targets in its annual performance plan to link beneficiaries to economic and developmental opportunities.
“Activities which support this target include sharing details of children who are in Grade 12 and are benefiting from social grants with the National Student Financial Aid Scheme.
“This ensures that the children on the social grant system are first in line for financial aid, to enable them to study further.
“It is believed that education will enable these young people to break the cycle of inter-generational poverty and dependence on social grants.”
Zulu also said another initiative which Sassa was engaged with was to collaborate with the project office in The Presidency which is responsible for the implementation of the Presidential Youth Employment Programme.
“Sassa assisted in sending SMS notifications to all the young people aged 18 to 35 years who had applied for the social relief of distress grant of R350 to alert them of the youth.mobi website.
“This website contains information of multiple work opportunities in both the public and private sector, where young people can get information to follow up if they feel they are suited.”
Zulu added that her department and its agencies, Sassa and National Development Agency, with the support from an independent trust, FinMark Trust, were piloting the “Generating Better Livelihoods for Grant Recipients” project in line with the department’s framework on linking social protection beneficiaries to sustainable livelihoods opportunities.
“The project aims to develop pathways for social grant recipients to attain sustainable livelihood opportunities through employment, skills development and/or entrepreneurship.
“The project’s primary target is child support grant, however, the support will not be limited to this target group. It will be extended to other household members including the beneficiaries of the Covid-19 social relief of distress grant,” she said.
Cape Times