New social grant for millions of people in South Africa

• The government is establishing a permanent Basic Income Support (BIS) grant to replace the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant, which benefits over 8.2 million people in South Africa.
• The SRD grant system has been found unconstitutional by the High Court, with issues including an online-only application process, flawed bank verification, and a problematic appeals system.
• The outcome of the Supreme Court appeal could set a precedent for restricting access to social assistance, while the rollout of the BIS grant aims to help working-age recipients transition to other economic opportunities.