Social Policy in Southern Africa

Prospects and Possibilities

Vusi Gumede, Neo Mokone, Emmanuel Ndhlovu, Takalanga Maziya, Cleopas Sambo

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2026
• eBook ISBN: 9781040666159
• Topic: Politics & International Relations
• Subtopic: African Politics
• Index: Politics & International Relations

This book, dealing with social policy in Southern Africa, offers a comprehensive collection of possible social policy-based interventions in Southern Africa's socio-economic and development realities, starting with the history or background to existing social policies and ultimately proposing the kinds of social policies that are ideal for Southern African countries.

Southern Africa as a sub-region has a political history and socio-economic profile that allows a focused study of the sub-region, particularly in relation to socio-economic transformation. The sub-region has been shaped by complex experiences of the various groups over millennia, and the borders are a reflection of events of the colonial era which lasted well into the 20th century. Southern African countries have struggled with socio-economic development. The lack of comprehensive social policies in the sub-region is among the chief reasons for poor socio-economic development outcomes in the sub-region with progress hindered by widespread poverty, rising inequality, massive youth unemployment, female marginalization, and deficits in domestic productivity, competitiveness, value addition, infrastructure, and development planning.

Demonstrating how social policy can confront the basic challenges of development in agriculture and the informal sector and showing both the theoretical and practical applicability of social policy in Southern Africa, particularly with regard to responding to contemporary regional challenges such as climate change, war and conflict, and pandemics, this book is necessary reading for all scholars and students of African politics, social policy, and socio-economic development broadly.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Endorsement Page
• Half Title
• Series Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• List of Figures
• List of Tables
• About the Authors
• Foreword
• Preface
• Acknowledgements
• 1 Introduction: The Case for Social Policy in Southern Africa
• 2 Development Approaches in Africa
• 3 Socio-Economic Development in Southern Africa
• 4 Social Policy as an Instrument for Poverty Reduction
• 5 Land Reform as a Transformative Social Policy Intervention in Southern Africa
• 6 Financial Inclusion in Agriculture as a Social Policy Agenda
• 7 Social Policy and Gender Inclusion
• 8 Informal Sector and Social Protection in Southern Africa
• 9 Southern Africa’s COVID-19 Social Protection Interventions
• 10 Social Policy and the Economy
• 11 Social Policy in Post-Apartheid South Africa: Case Study
• 12 Conclusion: Towards a Comprehensive Social Policy in Southern Africa
• Index